Transcript of the Ministry of National Defense Regular Press Conference, July 2026

On the afternoon of July 30, the Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference. Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, released announcements. (Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

**First announcement.** Today, the international image promotional video of the Chinese military, "In Their Prime" (《当红》), was officially released. It was jointly produced by the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission and Xinhua News Agency. Each generation has its own Long March road. The video is set against the backdrop of commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March. It focuses on presenting servicemen and servicewomen of the new era walking the new Long March road in the prime of their lives (最"当红"的年纪), showcasing their sense of responsibility in military training and war preparation, defending the country and guarding the borders, and emergency rescue and disaster relief, and telling vivid stories of their external exchanges, joint exercises and training, and international peacekeeping operations. It reflects the spiritual bearing of the People's Army in permanently preserving the character of the old Red Army, always remaining vigorous and full of vitality, and steadfastly safeguarding peace. We welcome your attention and coverage.

**Second announcement.** In early August, at the invitation of the Indonesian Navy, a naval formation composed of the People's Liberation Army Navy vessels Qi Jiguang and Kunlunshan will visit Surabaya, Indonesia. In recent years, the navies of China and Indonesia have continuously expanded cooperation in joint exercises, ship mutual visits, and other areas, advancing the two militaries' relationship to greater depth and substance.

**Third announcement.** China and Thailand will hold the "Eagle Strike-2026" (鹰击-2026) Air Force joint training exercise in Thailand in August. The Chinese side will dispatch multiple types of aircraft and ground-based air defense forces and other elements to conduct joint air defense, humanitarian rescue, and other exercise subjects with the Thai side. This is the ninth time the two countries' air forces have held this series of joint training exercises, aimed at further deepening traditional friendship and practical cooperation.

**Reporter:** It is reported that Defense Minister Dong Jun recently visited Thailand and Brunei in succession. Please provide further details on the relevant situation.

**Jiang Bin:** Recently, Defense Minister Dong Jun visited Thailand and Brunei at their invitation. This is a concrete measure to implement the important consensus reached by the Chinese-Thai and Chinese-Bruneian heads of state, deepen security mutual trust and defense cooperation, and serve the building of a community with a shared future in the neighborhood (周边命运共同体). During the visits, Minister Dong Jun separately called on the Thai Prime Minister and the Sultan of Brunei, and held talks with the defense leadership of both countries, conducting in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral and military-to-military relations, the international and regional situation, and issues of common concern.

At present, China-Thailand relations are moving toward the next golden 50 years. The two countries' leaders have reached important new consensus on deepening the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future and announced the establishment of a "2+2" strategic dialogue mechanism for foreign ministers and defense ministers. We are willing to work together with the Thai side to maintain close strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation in joint exercises and training, personnel exchanges, humanitarian disaster relief, and other areas, and promote the upgrading and improvement of China-Thailand military cooperation.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brunei. Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, both sides are advancing toward building a higher-level China-Brunei strategic cooperative partnership. The two militaries will consolidate traditional friendship, further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in personnel training, maritime security, international peacekeeping, and other fields, safeguard common interests, uphold fairness and justice, and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

**Reporter:** Japan's National Intelligence Agency will officially begin operations on July 31, becoming Japan's first unified central intelligence agency in its history. Within Japan, the strengthening of the intelligence system has triggered widespread concern about the return of "secret police rule" (特务统治). What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** We note that the relevant developments have triggered widespread controversy and strong unease within Japan, evoking associations with the "Tokkō" (特高课)—Japan's wartime apparatus for internal surveillance and suppression and external service to aggression—during World War II. Using the pretext of responding to so-called "security threats," Japan's ruling authorities are vigorously advancing the centralization and militarization of intelligence agencies, which is closely interlinked with a series of moves to expand armaments. The substance of this is the construction of an intelligence system serving military expansion and war preparation, burying a major hidden danger for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world. The international community must be highly vigilant about this and resolutely check and block the ambitions of Japanese right-wing forces to break free from the constraints of the postwar system and revive militarism.

**Reporter:** It is reported that Philippine government vessels have recently intruded multiple times into the waters under China's jurisdiction around Huangyan Island, and the China Coast Guard has lawfully expelled them. The Philippines, the United States, and Japan have conducted so-called "joint patrols" in the relevant waters. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** Defense and security cooperation among relevant countries should not be directed against third parties and must not harm regional peace and stability. Huangyan Island is China's inherent territory. The territorial scope of the Philippines is defined by a series of international treaties, and Huangyan Island lies outside that territorial scope. Regardless of what small moves the Philippine side makes or who it brings in to provide backing, this objective fact cannot be changed, and illegal schemes cannot possibly succeed. The Chinese military maintains a high state of alert, resolutely counters any rights-infringing and provocative actions, defends national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests through concrete actions, and safeguards peace and stability in the South China Sea.

**Reporter:** Every year during university entrance examination (高考) volunteer reporting, military academies are consistently an ideal choice for many students and parents. Please introduce this year's military academy enrollment and admissions work.

**Jiang Bin:** This year, large numbers of students continued to enthusiastically apply to military academies. Approximately 192,000 people from 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) nationwide submitted applications. Twenty-two military academies admitted more than 17,500 candidates. The admitted candidates' scores ranked on average in the top 6% of their respective provinces. Both the level of application enthusiasm and the quality of the student source have reached historic highs.

Military academies are the cradle for cultivating high-quality, specialized new-type military talent (高素质专业化新型军事人才), a battlefield for tempering fighting spirit and courage (血性胆气), and a stage for the blossoming of youthful dreams. Choosing a military academy means choosing to integrate personal ideals into the great journey of building a strong country and a strong military. Here, I extend warm congratulations to all new comrades-in-arms who are about to enter military academies! I hope you will take up the spiritual torch passed down by your predecessors, strengthen your capabilities, shoulder your mission, and contribute your youthful energy to high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization and to the accelerated building of a world-class military.

**Reporter:** It is reported that Japan's Ministry of Defense stated that during the joint patrol of Chinese and Russian naval vessels—four ships in total—in waters southwest of Okinotorishima, one Chinese warship conducted live-fire training within Japan's exclusive economic zone. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** The waters where the China-Russia joint patrol was conducted are the high seas, not Japan's so-called exclusive economic zone. As is well known, Okinotorishima has an area of less than 10 square meters, barely protrudes above the sea surface only through artificial reinforcement, and cannot sustain human habitation. It completely fails to meet the definition of an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Japan's disregard of the facts in "designating a reef as an island" (指礁为岛) and its claims of an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf on that basis are entirely untenable. The relevant actions of China and Russia are consistent with international law and international practice. Japan has no standing to make irresponsible remarks (说三道四), and fanning and hyping the matter will only be counterproductive.

**Reporter:** It is reported that Japan's Defense Minister has repeatedly stated in recent days that Japan should discuss policies related to nuclear weapons without any taboos, including whether to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" that have long been upheld since World War II. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** The remarks by Japan's Defense Minister are extremely provocative and dangerous, once again piercing through Japan's disguise and the lies with which it deceives the international community. Could it be that the intent is to use this to test the direction of public opinion, pave the way for improper schemes, and challenge the bottom line of international justice? What deserves the highest vigilance is that Japan is an internationally recognized nuclear threshold state, stockpiling approximately 44.4 tons of separated plutonium and long deliberately maintaining the capability to seek a nuclear breakthrough in the short term. Japan's pursuit of a breakthrough through the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" seriously violates the international legal obligations stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, seriously undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and seriously threatens the fruits of victory in World War II and the postwar international order. Japan's nuclear ambitions must not be indulged, and challenges to red lines cannot be tolerated. Otherwise, once "Pandora's box" is opened, the consequences will be unimaginable. The international community and all sectors within Japan must be highly vigilant about this and resolutely check and block it.

**Reporter:** Taiwan's defense authorities stated that recently a PLA helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle crossed for the first time into the restricted flight area east of the so-called "Taiwan Strait median line," and continued activities in the relevant area for more than nine hours. Analysts on the island have said that this action by the PLA is very likely "a new form of coordinated operational training" (协同作战训练的新形态) and "battlefield presetting exercises" (战场预设演练). What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** Taiwan is a part of China. The so-called "Taiwan Strait median line" simply does not exist. The PLA's activities in the relevant maritime and airspace are entirely legitimate (天经地义). The so-called "restricted flight area" demarcated by the "Taiwan independence" armed forces is pure bluster and has no meaning whatsoever.

**Reporter:** We note that in recent years the willingness of Middle Eastern countries to carry out defense technology cooperation with China has been continuously rising, particularly in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite reconnaissance. What core principles does China adhere to in conducting military-industrial technology cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, especially Iraq? Regarding the view in public discourse that the relevant cooperation will upset the regional balance of forces, what is China's comment?

**Jiang Bin:** China and Iraq have traditionally friendly military-to-military relations, and the two sides have carried out good cooperation in areas such as academic exchanges and personnel training. China has always adopted a cautious and responsible attitude toward military product exports, adhering to the three principles of military product exports: namely, that exports are conducive to the legitimate self-defense capability of the recipient country; do not harm the peace, security, and stability of the relevant region and the world; and do not interfere in the internal affairs of the recipient country. As a friend and partner of Middle Eastern countries, China has always upheld a just position, actively working to mediate and stop the fighting (劝和止战). We are willing to work together with the international community to continue making unremitting efforts toward the early restoration of peace and tranquility in the Middle East.

**Reporter:** Today marks the 27th anniversary of the signing of the memorandum between the Chinese and Japanese governments on the destruction of abandoned Japanese chemical weapons. China has repeatedly demanded that Japan accelerate the disposal process for abandoned Japanese chemical weapons (日遗化武). What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** The chemical weapons abandoned in China by Japan are one of the serious crimes committed by Japanese militarism during the war of aggression against China. The earliest possible complete and thorough destruction of abandoned Japanese chemical weapons in China is Japan's inescapable historical, political, and legal responsibility, and an international obligation stipulated by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Under the deadlines set by the Convention and the provisions of the Chinese-Japanese government memorandum, Japan was required to complete the destruction of all abandoned Japanese chemical weapons on Chinese territory by 2007, yet it has repeatedly been passive and perfunctory, causing the destruction plan to be delayed four times.

Due to Japan's insufficient sincerity in fulfilling its obligations and limited investment—particularly its persistent failure to provide detailed information on the burial locations of abandoned Japanese chemical weapons—large quantities of abandoned Japanese chemical weapons remain undiscovered and continue to this day to endanger the lives, property, and ecological security of the Chinese people. Japan owes the Chinese people an accounting, and owes the world an accounting. Glossing over the serious issues while making a show of addressing minor ones (避重就轻) will not work; muddling through (蒙混过关) is impossible. We once again demand that Japan squarely face its historical and present-day responsibilities, take concrete actions to accelerate the disposal process for abandoned Japanese chemical weapons, and at the earliest possible date restore a clean land to the Chinese people.

**Reporter:** Recently, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference was successfully held in China. Some analysts argue that China is drawing in Global South countries to build a military AI rules system dominated by China, engaging in confrontation with the United States in the AI defense field, and attempting to use rules-based constraints to restrict U.S. research and development. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** We firmly oppose the overgeneralization of the concept of national security (泛化国家安全概念), the politicization and weaponization of artificial intelligence, and the ignition of a new arms race in the field of artificial intelligence. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, comprehensively and systematically setting forth China's policy positions and conceptual proposals on artificial intelligence development and governance. He emphasized that the development of artificial intelligence should uphold the concept of people-centeredness and an upward, positive orientation (以人为本、向上向善), making artificial intelligence an important driving force for promoting common prosperity and safeguarding common security. Representatives from various countries also personally experienced the outstanding effects of China's extensive application of artificial intelligence to promote development and improve people's livelihoods. As a responsible major country, China has always been committed to being a provider of international public goods in the field of artificial intelligence and to promoting the building of a fair and reasonable global artificial intelligence governance system.

**Reporter:** Taiwan's defense authorities will begin their annual "Han Kuang" exercise starting next week. How does the spokesperson view the relevant exercise? Does the mainland side plan to take countermeasures?

**Reporter:** It is reported that according to data released by Taiwan's defense authorities, as of 2025, a cumulative total of more than 4,000 volunteer-service Taiwan military personnel have chosen to pay high breach-of-contract penalties to discharge early, with total compensation reaching NT$920 million and the highest individual penalty exceeding NT$20 million. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** This has long since ceased to be news. The louder the Democratic Progressive Party authorities shout "whole-of-society defense" (全民防卫), the more they find "no one willing to fight for them" (无人卖命), because more and more people in Taiwan have seen through the true nature of the DPP authorities' pursuit of "independence" and provocation of war, bringing disaster to Taiwan and harm to its people, and are more bravely standing up to say no to "Taiwan independence." Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same bloodline and are bound by the same destiny. They should join hands and work together, uphold the great righteousness of the nation (民族大义), resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatism, jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and create a beautiful future of national reunification and national rejuvenation.

**Reporter:** Taiwan's military authorities recently announced that the so-called "Han Kuang Exercise No. 42" will be conducted from August 5 to 14. The accompanying urban resilience (air defense) exercise will for the first time incorporate internet disconnection, which may affect civilian functions such as navigation and mobile payments during the exercise period. Some commentators have questioned whether this is using the exercise to hype up the "mainland threat" and reinforce an atmosphere of "resisting China." What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** The DPP authorities' stubborn adherence to the "Taiwan independence" separatist position is the greatest scourge for Taiwan's society and people's livelihoods. For the sake of one party's private interests, they squander the people's resources and exhaust the military (劳民伤财、穷兵黩武), continuously manufacturing war anxiety and inciting cross-strait confrontation and antagonism, vainly attempting to bind the people of Taiwan to the "Taiwan independence" war chariot. What awaits them is only the fate of "Taiwan independence's" defeat and destruction.

**Reporter:** Taiwan's defense authorities detected a total of 1,334 sorties of PLA military aircraft and naval vessels active near Taiwan Island in the first half of this year, the lowest record in three years. Some analysts argue that this decrease in numbers is related to the intensive high-level interactions between China and the United States. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** Taiwan is a part of China. The PLA's activities in the relevant maritime and airspace are entirely legitimate (天经地义). The timing and organization of such activities are entirely at our own discretion.

**Reporter:** On July 25, the Chinese side discovered a distressed Vietnamese vessel in waters near the Nansha Islands (South China Sea), immediately launched a rescue operation, provided medical treatment to the injured, and transferred the rescued crew members to the Vietnamese side. Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude for China's prompt assistance. What is your comment on this? Is there any further information that can be disclosed?

**Jiang Bin:** The media has already reported on the relevant situation. After the Vietnamese vessel was in distress, Chinese rescue forces including the PLA Navy and the China Coast Guard immediately launched a rescue operation, successfully rescuing a total of 47 Vietnamese crew members and transferring them to the Vietnamese side. This is a true reflection of China's practice through concrete actions of the concept of a maritime community with a shared future (海洋命运共同体), and is also what is called for in all parties' joint effort to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.

**Reporter:** Some foreign media have reported that the PLA has built full-scale models of major Taiwanese government buildings at a remote test site, allowing officers and soldiers to conduct exercises in the most realistic possible environment, with unprecedented scale and specificity. A spokesperson for Taiwan's defense authorities stated in response that this shows Taiwan faces a severe enemy threat, and called on the public to support the defense budget so that Taiwan's military can obtain resources to build up its forces and prepare for war. What is your comment on this?

**Jiang Bin:** The PLA has always adhered to combat-realistic training (实战实训), forging hard capabilities to defeat the enemy, maintaining full-time combat readiness and the ability to fight at any time, resolutely smashing "Taiwan independence" separatist schemes, and resolutely defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

**Jiang Bin:** In two more days it will be the 99th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Staying true to the founding mission, advancing toward the centenary, striving to become world-class (守初心，向百年，奔一流). All officers and soldiers of the entire military will always be guided by Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military (习近平强军思想), carry forward the red bloodline, sound the bugle for breakthroughs and charges, forge powerful war-winning capabilities, protect the mountains and rivers with wholehearted loyalty (赤胆忠心), safeguard the people's well-being with hard-core strength, and contribute China's power to maintaining world peace and stability. On this occasion, I extend advance wishes to all comrades-in-arms for a happy holiday!