According to Radio France Internationale, on the 18th, US President Trump officially signed the US Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The Act includes measures to counter China's threat, strengthen Taiwan's defense, and requires the Director of National Intelligence to release a report on the wealth of the top Chinese Communist officials. On the 19th, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the Act of “hyping up the China threat” and interfering in China’s internal affairs.
The Act’s provision “Report on the Wealth of CCP Leadership” stipulates that, within one year from the promulgation of the Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, shall publish on the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's official website a report concerning the wealth of leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, covering the CCP General Secretary, members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, and all members of the CCP Central Politburo.
The act requests relevant intelligence agencies to disclose evidence of tangible and financial assets directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the aforementioned leaders, determine the source of their wealth, including business assets, investments, and financial accounts held in jurisdictions outside China, and identify financial agents, business partners, or other controlled entities used to obscure the ownership of such wealth and assets; and analyze how this wealth influences CCP foreign policy and the expansion of its global influence, among other topics.
The new US Defense Act also includes provisions to counter the China threat, providing the Taiwan Security Cooperation Program with a full allocation of one billion US dollars (4.08 billion ringgit), and authorizes funding for continued US military training of Taiwan’s forces to resist Chinese harassment and malign influence activities; it requires the Pentagon to seek to establish joint programs with Taiwan for the deployment of drone and counter-drone systems.
The Act also requires the formulation of plans to increase opportunities for integrated US-Taiwan Coast Guard training. The plan should cover estimated costs for the fiscal years 2026 to 2030, including sending US Coast Guard operational training teams to Taiwan to improve Taiwan’s maritime security, law enforcement, and deterrence capabilities. The National Defense Authorization Act also contains the “Non-Discrimination Against Taiwan Act,” supporting Taiwan's accession to the International Monetary Fund.
On the 19th, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun, in response to a reporter’s question, stated that the new US National Defense Authorization Act hypes up the China threat, interferes in China’s internal affairs, and harms China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests. China is strongly dissatisfied, firmly opposed, and has lodged solemn representations with the US multiple times. China demands that the US “not implement the negative provisions of the Act relating to China and eliminate the negative impact.” China threatened that if the US insists on going its own way, China will take resolute and strong measures.
On the 19th, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua also criticized the inclusion of “wrongful provisions relating to Taiwan” in the US 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, saying the US “seeks to further arm Taiwan,” and reiterated China’s firm opposition.