U.S. urges China to drop Taiwan military threats

U.S. officials urged China to stop military threats and pressure against Taiwan , with the top U.S. diplomat on the island, Raymond Greene, making the appeal on April 12. Greene, who leads the American Institute in Taiwan, said Beijing should engage in direct dialogue with Taiwan’s elected leaders to reduce the risk of miscalculation and help steady cross-strait relations.

Greene’s remarks came after Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), traveled to China and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In his comments, Greene said long-standing U.S. policy supports exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and argued that communication should remain open with all of Taiwan’s political parties, especially those chosen by voters.

Greene also framed dialogue as part of a broader approach that includes deterrence. He said the U.S. view is that talks, backed by sufficient deterrence capabilities, are essential for addressing cross-strait differences and for removing the option of conflict. The statement underscored Washington’s emphasis on reducing misunderstandings while keeping channels open across political lines in Taiwan.

China considers democratically governed Taiwan its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Beijing has refused to engage with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, calling him a “separatist,” according to the account of the situation. At the same time, Chinese military activity around Taiwan has continued, including daily operations, even during the opposition leader’s visit to China.

Domestic politics in Taiwan also featured in the backdrop to Greene’s comments. Taiwan’s opposition-controlled parliament has stalled government military spending plans, including a $40 billion special defense budget intended for U.S. weapons acquisitions. That legislative impasse sits alongside the wider debate over how Taiwan funds defense priorities while cross-strait tensions remain a central political and security issue.

What remains unclear is whether Beijing will adjust its approach to contacts with Taiwan’s elected leadership, given its stated position toward Lai and its ongoing military operations near the island. It is also uncertain how quickly Taiwan’s parliament will move on the delayed defense spending proposals, including the $40 billion package tied to U.S. weapons purchases.