By Zhang Gaosheng
The US Department of War released its 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) on January 23, local time. The new NDS sees certain adjustments in the language concerning China including the Taiwan question, which have drawn attention from all sides.
The US has always prioritized its own interests in the strategy formulation, which has been the consistent core logic of its defense policy-making. As the primary guide for the strategic deployment and adjustment of the US Department of War, the new NDS delineates four key lines of effort (LOEs): defend the US homeland as well as its interests throughout the Western Hemisphere; deter China in the so-called Indo-Pacific through strength, not confrontation; increase burden-sharing with US allies and partners; and supercharge the US defense industrial base.
Rather than a wavering attitude toward China, what is behind the prioritization is the US' realignment of its focus on its interests at different stages. It is essentially a reestimation of the costs and benefits of its global strategic expansion. Similar to the previous national security strategies released by the White House, this new defense blueprint reinforces the Trump administration's "America First" philosophy.
Of note is that the positioning of China in the US NDS reports has undergone phased changes. In 2018, the NDS report released during Trump's first term positioned China as a strategic competitor of the US. The report released by the Biden administration in 2022 retained the statement. The latest report has made some adjustments in its expression, no longer highlighting the priority of the "China threat", but instead viewing China as the established power in the so-called Indo-Pacific region and suggesting maintaining a mutually respectful relationship.
This change has been widely interpreted by the outside world as a significant easing in the wording towards China in the US strategic level documentation. The adjustment of wording in itself provides potential space for improving the atmosphere of bilateral relations. Two sides need to cooperate in global economic recovery, artificial intelligence (AI) governance, and many other fields. The reduced or no reference to China and mitigated confrontational narratives in the new NDS create more space for cooling down disputes and fostering potential cooperation in China-US relations. We expect the US side to truly transform the changes in words into policy practices to bring about substantive improvements to bilateral relations.
Nevertheless, no matter how the US adjusts its strategy reports, China will never change its firm stance of safeguarding its core interests and adhering to the path of peaceful development. China not only shows sincerity but also upholds certain principles in the development of China-US relations, so there is no room for compromise on major issues such as safeguarding sovereignty, security, and development interests. The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, as well as the most sensitive and core question in China-US relations. The US 2026 NDS does not mention "Taiwan", but whether it mentions the question or not, it will never change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, let alone undermine China's firm resolve to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
At the same time, the essence of the US strategic containment of China has not changed, which warrants clear awareness and necessary vigilance. The new NDS has neither "given up" nor "relaxed" its continued containment of China in the so-called Indo-Pacific region, and military confrontation against China still exists. In the Asia-Pacific region, China has always been committed to maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting regional cooperation and development, which forms a sharp contrast to the US strategic logic frequently taking "deterrence" and "confrontation" as its nucleus.
China-US relations represent one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. Therefore, the two countries should be partners and friends. This is a lesson from history as well as a need of reality. The only right choice in line with the common interests of mankind is to focus on promoting the building of a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation between China and the US.
(The author is a scholar from the Department for World Peace and Security, China Institute of International Studies.)
Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.