The United States Senate Armed Services Committee recently passed the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, officially designating the Chinese Communist Party as a member of the “Axis of Aggressors” for the first time. The act authorizes the establishment of a wartime reserve stockpile for Taiwan and promotes U.S.-Taiwan unmanned drone cooperation. Experts point out that the U.S. strategic deployment for Taiwan’s security in the Taiwan Strait is shifting from traditional deterrence to actual preparation for conflict, making Taiwan’s ongoing combat and logistical resilience a new core of Washington’s strategic planning.
On June 10, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee passed the draft of the Fiscal Year 2027 NDAA with 18 votes in favor and 9 votes against, totaling $1.15 trillion, which will now be submitted to the Senate for further review.
According to a summary of the act, China is identified as one of the members of the “Axis of Aggressors” challenging U.S. interests. The summary states, “Facing a camp of aggressors led by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, the United States is currently in the most dangerous threat environment since World War II.”
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, stated in a written statement on June 11 that the threats faced by the U.S. are unprecedentedly complex and urgent. He said, “An axis of aggression is challenging America’s interests globally, and the nature of warfare is rapidly evolving.”
Wicker pointed out that considering the need for the U.S. military to deter these threats and defeat adversaries when necessary, the Fiscal Year 2027 NDAA represents a significant breakthrough in U.S. military readiness.
Former President of Taiwan’s National Defense University, General Yu Zongji, told Dajiyuan that this signifies a further deepening of Washington’s strategic understanding of Beijing. He believes that the direct naming of China by the U.S. Congress demonstrates that the U.S. has “seen the true face of the Chinese Communist Party.”
General Yu also mentioned that Beijing is trying to stabilize U.S.-China relations on the surface while continuing to take assertive actions around the first island chain. He said, “They are reaching out to the U.S. while being tougher on neighboring countries. This is a typical tactic of being friendly afar but attacking near.”
He stated that the U.S. has observed China’s military expansion, nuclear weapon development, and accelerated regional military activities, so directly designating China as part of the “Axis of Aggressors” is not accidental but a result of long-term observation.
Taiwan’s senior military analyst Qi Leyi offered an observation based on changes in terminology. He said, “It used to be called evil, but now it’s more specific. Evil doesn’t necessarily mean aggression, but aggressors are definitely evil.”
He added, “Currently, Russia has been significantly depleted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Iran’s defense system has been severely weakened; and North Korea’s influence remains mainly limited to the Northeast Asia region. The biggest challenge viewed by the U.S. is still China.”
Qi believes that this strategic positioning implies that the U.S.’ future Indo-Pacific layout will revolve around how to address the security challenges brought about by China’s rise.
The act authorizes the Pentagon to establish a War Reserve Stockpile for Taiwan to enhance Taiwan’s logistical support and sustained operational capability in potential conflicts. This provision is seen by experts as more than just logistical arrangements.
General Yu believes this is a clear strategic signal to Beijing from the U.S. “Do not misjudge the U.S. because of the insufficient precision munitions after supporting Ukraine and Israel, thinking that the U.S. does not have the capacity to support the first island chain anymore.”
He pointed out that establishing a War Reserve Stockpile in Taiwan means that the U.S. has begun pushing forward war preparations to the critical location of the first island chain. He emphasized that the primary purpose is to prevent strategic misjudgments by Beijing.
“As long as Xi Jinping does not have optimistic misjudgments, it is likely to further deter attempts at military action.” General Yu believes that the stockpile serves not only as a logistical facility but also carries a strong strategic warning function.
Qi Leyi supplemented from a geopolitical perspective the fundamental difference between Taiwan and Ukraine. He said the most significant difference between Taiwan and Ukraine is their geographical environments. “Ukraine is connected to the entire European continent, where NATO and the U.S. can continue to provide aid during wars; Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, so once blockaded, it may be too late to receive support once a conflict erupts.”
Therefore, the U.S. is beginning to consider “strategic prepositioning.” “Strategic prepositioning means deploying essential weapons and equipment needed in the future before a war breaks out.”
“In fact, behind the War Reserve Stockpile involves training, coordination, contact mechanisms, and a complete system, serving as a crucial component of the entire combat system.” Qi Leyi pointed out that this arrangement in itself carries a deterrence significance.
Beyond Taiwan, the act renames the “Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative” to the “First Island Chain Security Cooperation Initiative,” including the Philippines as eligible recipients of aid, with the authorization extended until 2032.
The act also requires a review of the U.S. global arms sales mechanism to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines for any delays and assesses how these delays could affect the Pentagon’s ability to construct, deploy, and maintain a robust denial defense system in the first island chain.
Qi Leyi believes that the first island chain is being re-endowed with strategic value. “In the past, the U.S. mainly relied on bilateral alliance systems in the Asia-Pacific region but is now evidently starting to strengthen overall defense capabilities.”
He considers Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan as crucial nodes in this defense chain. He particularly emphasized Taiwan’s pivotal geographical position, stating that “Taiwan is the most critical connecting link in the entire first island chain.”
Furthermore, the act authorizes the extension of the “Pacific Deterrence Initiative” and extends the Pentagon’s requirement to submit the “China Military Power Report” annually to Congress until 2032. It calls on the Pentagon to develop a “South China Sea Crisis Management Strategy” to enhance the U.S. and its allies’ capabilities to respond to regional emergencies and military frictions.
The act explicitly calls for U.S.-Taiwan cooperation in the development and production of unmanned drones and anti-drone systems, integrating technological collaboration into core Taiwan Strait defense planning.
General Yu believes that this direction aligns highly with actual experiences on modern battlefields. “From the Russia-Ukraine conflict to battlegrounds in the Middle East, unmanned vehicle systems have become one of the main weapon options in modern warfare.”
He pointed out that Taiwan, with its natural maritime barrier, is more suitable for developing unmanned drone defense systems than Ukraine. “If Taiwan can develop large-scale unmanned drone capabilities similar to Ukraine in the future, it will be able to significantly deter China by targeting important Chinese assets at the source.”
General Yu believes that Taiwan has unique industrial advantages in this field. “Taiwan has a foundation in the chip industry and manufacturing capability, coupled with U.S. technology and combat experience, showing significant future development potential.”
Qi Leyi expanded from the perspective of artificial intelligence on the strategic implications of unmanned drone cooperation. “The next war will likely be in an era where unmanned combat systems centered around artificial intelligence.”
He believes that in the future, it will not only be drones but also include unmanned ships, unmanned submarines, and various unmanned combat platforms. He stated, “This trend has emerged, but it has not fully matured yet.”