Taipei [Taiwan], December 17 : China's Foreign Ministry 'denied' the existence of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Monday following the arrival of US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks in Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.
The denial came in response to the MND's announcement that the first batch of 38 tanks, part of a 108-unit purchase from the US, had reached Hsinchu County's Hukou Township.
Addressing the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian claimed to be correcting the terminology, stating, "There is no such thing as the 'Ministry of National Defence' in Taiwan."
Lin further criticized the US for its military ties with Taiwan and called on Washington to adhere to Beijing's "one-China" principle and the three China-US Joint Communiques, with specific emphasis on the "August 17 Communique." Lin said the US should stop selling arms to Taiwan and supporting "Taiwan independence forces in seeking independence by force."
According to the Taiwan News report, in the August 17, 1982, China-US communique, the US agreed that its arms sales to Taiwan "will not exceed, either in qualitative or quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China."
The document also noted Washington's intent to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan, reported Taiwan News.
However, former US President Ronald Reagan issued an internal presidential memo on the same date, stating that this reduction was contingent on China's commitment to resolving the Taiwan issue peacefully. Reagan wrote that US arms sales to Taiwan would be influenced by "peace in the Taiwan Straits."
Lin reiterated China's stance against Taiwan's military actions, saying, "The Taiwan government's attempts to seek independence through military means and rely on foreign forces for independence will fail." He added that China would continue to defend its national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
Taiwanese officials responded strongly to Lin's remarks. On Tuesday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu refuted Lin's claims on social media platform X, asserting that Taiwan has a Ministry of National Defence, Taiwan News reported.
"Taiwan's soldiers cherish democracy and freedom, and they are dedicated to defending Taiwan," Wang wrote.
Tagging Lin's X handle, Wang directed him to the official X page of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (@MoNDefense) and emphasised the ministry's existence by spelling out the word "National."
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