US plans to send high-level security delegation to China

The US is planning to send a high-level security delegation to China within weeks to pave the way for a possible visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.

The delegation is expected to be led by Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of defense for policy and a key architect of the 2026 National Defense Strategy, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources.

The visit is also intended to finalize arrangements for a potential trip by Hegseth, although no timeline was disclosed.

US President Donald Trump completed a three-day visit to Beijing last week, during which he held several meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on trade, bilateral relations and Taiwan, among other issues.

Hegseth was part of Trump's delegation during the visit.

It marked the first time a sitting US president and defense secretary jointly visited China since the normalization of bilateral ties.

A report by the UK-based Financial Times on Thursday said China had "signalled that it cannot approve a visit until Trump decides how he will proceed" with a stalled $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan.

China's opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan remains "consistent and clear," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a regular press briefing in Beijing, responding to the report.

There has been no official confirmation from either Washington or Beijing regarding Colby's expected visit.

Commenting on Trump's remarks Wednesday that he planned to speak with Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te regarding the stalled arms package, Guo said Beijing's opposition to official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, as well as US arms sales to the island, remained "consistent, clear and firm."

Lai also said Thursday that he would welcome speaking with Trump.

Guo urged Washington to "act on the important common understandings reached at the China-US summit, honor its commitments and statements, handle the Taiwan question with actual prudence, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and take concrete actions to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as the steady development of China-US relations."

The Taiwan weapons package, which includes missiles and air defense interceptors, has remained stalled at the State Department for months.

China considers Taiwan its "breakaway province," while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.