China Vows to Defend Sovereignty Over Taiwan as Trump Unveils Security Strategy
London, UK, December 9, 2025
The Taiwan Faultline: China Vows to Defend Sovereignty Over Taiwan as Trump Unveils Security Strategy, Reaffirming US-China Rivalry
Headline Points:
• China Vows to Defend Sovereignty Over Taiwan in a strong response to the newly unveiled US National Security Strategy (NSS) from President Trump.
• The NSS frames the US-China rivalry as an interest-based competition, notably omitting condemnation of China’s authoritarianism, which some analysts view as a softening.
• Beijing’s immediate reaction underscores its commitment to the ‘One China’ principle, viewing the island as an inalienable part of its territory.
• The US NSS prioritizes deterring conflict over Taiwan for strategic and economic reasons, not explicitly to preserve the island’s democracy.
• Taiwan’s Presidential Office thanked the US for signing the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, signaling continued commitment to democratic defense.
The long-simmering tensions across the Taiwan Strait have been brought into sharp focus following the release of the U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), prompting a swift and firm declaration that China Vows to Defend Sovereignty Over Taiwan.
Beijing’s reaction to the new strategic blueprint underscores the island’s central role as the most volatile flashpoint in the growing US-China rivalry.
While the NSS confirms that the rivalry is the central focus of U.S. global policy, China’s resolute public stance reaffirms its absolute commitment to its long-held ‘One China’ principle, setting the stage for increased diplomatic and potential military friction in the coming years.
A critical reading of President Trump’s Security Strategy reveals a nuanced shift in U.S. rhetoric.
The document frames the US-China rivalry explicitly as an interest-based competition, notably moving away from the “clash of values” language of previous administrations.
The strategy neither denounces nor even mentions China’s authoritarianism.
This omission has led to speculation among analysts that the U.S. is seeking a more pragmatic, less ideologically charged relationship with Beijing, prioritizing strategic deterrence over political condemnation.
However, this purported softening did little to appease Beijing, which sees any external support for Taipei as a direct challenge to its national integrity.
In Taipei, the reaction was more appreciative. Taiwan’s Presidential Office swiftly issued a statement of sincere gratitude to the U.S. administration for formally signing the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act.
This act affirms the value of US interaction with Taiwan, supports closer bilateral relations, and, according to the Presidential Office, stands as a “firm symbol of our shared values of democracy and freedom.”
President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized that Taiwan and the United States share the conviction of “peace through strength” and that Taiwan will ensure its sovereignty, democracy, and freedom are defended through “robust, decisive action.”
The U.S. NSS makes clear that the key objective is to deter conflict over Taiwan, but for reasons that are primarily strategic and economic, rather than solely focused on preserving the island’s democratic system. This prioritization reflects the massive global economic impact that a conflict over Taiwan—the source of most of the world’s advanced semiconductors—would have. As China Vows to Defend Sovereignty, it continues to threaten Taiwan and other regional countries through tactics like military intimidation, ‘gray-zone’ oppression, and economic coercion, all aimed at altering the cross-strait status quo. The new U.S. strategy acknowledges this, making the security of the strait a critical and non-negotiable component of its Indo-Pacific policy, ensuring that the Taiwan faultline remains the central challenge to regional peace and stability.
