Ministry of National Defense Routine Press Briefing, Mid-May 2026
On the afternoon of May 18, Ministry of National Defense (MND) Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin released information on recent military-related issues. On the afternoon of May 18, MND Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin released information on recent military-related issues. (Photo by Sun Yue)
Jiang Bin: First, I have an announcement to make.
From late May to early June, the China-Mongolia "Steppe Partner-2026" (草原伙伴-2026) Army joint training exercise will be held in Inner Mongolia, China. This joint training exercise focuses on joint operations to strike illegal armed organizations. It is the second time the two countries' armies have held this series of joint training exercises, and is aimed at continuously deepening friendship and mutual trust, strengthening practical cooperation, and enhancing the shared capacity to maintain regional peace and stability.
Reporter: According to reports, when President Xi Jinping recently held talks with U.S. President Trump, who was visiting China, he noted that both sides should make better use of political-diplomatic and military-to-military communication channels. What are your expectations for the next phase of development in China-U.S. military relations?
Jiang Bin: The successful meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Trump reached important consensus on building a "China-U.S. constructive strategic stability relationship" (中美建设性战略稳定关系), pointing the way forward for the next phase of bilateral relations and providing a fundamental guide. The stable development of China-U.S. military relations serves the common interests of both sides and is also the universal expectation of the international community. We are willing to work together with the U.S. side to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, strengthen communication and dialogue, manage differences, build mutual trust and dispel doubts, and promote military-to-military relations along a stable and positive trajectory, so as to play a constructive role in a bright future for bilateral relations and for world peace and stability.
On the afternoon of May 18, MND Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin released information on recent military-related issues. (Photo by Sun Yue)
Reporter: The 2026 Beijing Xiangshan Forum (北京香山论坛) preparatory meeting recently concluded successfully. Please provide further details.
Jiang Bin: From May 7 to 9, the 2026 Beijing Xiangshan Forum preparatory meeting was successfully held in Beijing. The meeting was themed "Global Security Governance: Challenges and the Way Forward," and was attended by 121 defense officials, senior military officers, and expert scholars from 43 countries and international organizations.
The agenda of this preparatory meeting was precisely anchored to the key pain points and real-world challenges currently facing global security governance, providing the international community with a dialogue platform for stepping outside zero-sum games and rejecting the logic of confrontation. Representatives from all parties engaged in equal exchanges and lively discussions, broadly opposing unilateral hegemony and the law of the jungle, upholding the central role of the United Nations, and advocating the management of risks and prevention of crises through cooperation. They considered that China's four major global initiatives (四大全球倡议) provide constructive ideas and practical pathways for addressing the security governance deficit, resolving international security challenges, and laying a solid foundation for security and development.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum. Over the past 20 years, the Forum has consistently upheld the principles of equality, openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, respecting every voice that upholds justice, cherishing every effort to bridge differences, and welcoming every proposal for cooperation and mutual benefit. We look forward to gathering again in Beijing with representatives from all countries when the red leaves fill the Xiangshan hills this autumn, using dialogue to build mutual trust and consensus, and using cooperation to resolve contradictions and conflicts, contributing wisdom and strength to jointly addressing global security challenges and building a world of lasting peace and universal security.
Reporter: According to reports, China's third batch of peacekeeping quick-reaction forces (维和快反分队) deployed to Abyei recently departed for the mission area to relieve the second batch of mission forces in carrying out peacekeeping duties. Please provide further details.
Jiang Bin: China's peacekeeping quick-reaction forces deployed to Abyei have, under severe security conditions and in a complex natural environment, successfully completed missions including armed patrols, protection of key personnel, and quick-reaction emergency response, while also actively carrying out civil-military community building and cultural exchange activities, earning broad trust from the local population. The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) sent a letter of thanks to China's peacekeeping quick-reaction forces for the high degree of professionalism and dedication they demonstrated during the execution of their mission, and awarded the unit's officers and soldiers the United Nations Medal of Honor for Peace.
Safeguarding peace, pressing forward with courage and resolve. The Chinese military has demonstrated through concrete action that peace is not a slogan, but a commitment and steadfastness to confront danger head-on. We will actively fulfill our solemn commitments, faithfully carry out our peacekeeping mission, and contribute greater Chinese strength to safeguarding world peace.
Reporter: According to reports, satellite imagery shows that the Philippines is accelerating upgrades to infrastructure on illegally occupied Nansha islands and reefs, with plans to expand a shelter harbor on Mauhao Island (马欢岛) and extend the runway on Thitu Island (中业岛). Do you have any comment?
Jiang Bin: China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and the adjacent waters. We firmly oppose the Philippine side's construction activities on all Chinese islands and reefs under illegal occupation, including Thitu Island and Mauhao Island, and will take necessary measures to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
On the afternoon of May 18, MND Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin released information on recent military-related issues. (Photo by Sun Yue)
Reporter: According to reports, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have officially released a new version of a special defense budget, claiming it responds to the urgent need for arms purchases from the United States, but the budget falls well short and is still not a complete answer. Do you have any comment?
Jiang Bin: Massive arms purchases are a "bloodsucking bill" (吸血账单) through which the DPP authorities squeeze the people and hollow out public welfare. The DPP authorities, heedless of the people's hardships and ignoring the reality that young people on the island are unwilling to go to the battlefield for "Taiwan independence" (台独), are insisting on using the people's hard-earned money to curry favor with external forces, reducing themselves to a "cash machine" (提款机) for foreign arms dealers, while also trumpeting the idea that "the more you spend, the safer you are." Their perverse and retrograde actions have no popular support.
Arms purchases cannot buy security, and willingly serving as a "pawn" (棋子) will only result in being squeezed dry and picked clean. The reunification of the motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are Taiwan's most solid guarantee. The more the DPP authorities pursue "seeking independence through force" (以武谋独) and "seeking independence by relying on external forces" (倚外谋独), the more they will accelerate the process of "Taiwan independence's" (台独) defeat and demise.