China’s Ministry of National Defense issued a sharp rebuke Tuesday following U.S. media reports that the Pentagon has elevated the defense of Taiwan and homeland security to top priorities in internal planning.
In a statement delivered at a routine press briefing, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, addressed a reported classified directive signed by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The document reportedly identifies China as the “sole pacing threat” and emphasizes deterring a mainland takeover of Taiwan as a top-level objective for the U.S. military.
“We have taken note of the relevant reports,” Zhang said. “The United States is increasingly displaying signs of a pathological fear and obsession with China. Viewing China as a threat is a serious strategic misjudgment and will only lead to catastrophic consequences.”
The comments mark a renewed warning from Beijing amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, where the U.S. has increased rotational deployments and joint exercises with regional allies.
Zhang reiterated China’s longstanding position on Taiwan, stating that “China will eventually be reunified, and must be reunified. This is a historical trend that no individual or force can stop.”
The U.S. Department of Defense has not commented publicly on the reported internal memo. However, President Donald Trump and senior defense officials have repeatedly affirmed that countering China’s military expansion remains central to U.S. defense strategy.
While both sides maintain there is no immediate path to armed conflict, the rhetoric continues to harden.