Treasury Edits on China Language Delayed Release of Trump Administration Security Strategies

Two core documents that define the Trump administration’s global security approach — the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Defense Strategy (NDS) — were delayed for weeks after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed for revisions to how China is described, several people familiar with the internal deliberations said. Both documents are now near completion and are expected to be released soon.

Why the delay

Sources said Bessent sought softer language on Chinese activity, citing sensitivity around ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing and the administration’s decision to raise the Western Hemisphere as a higher strategic priority. Because the NSS and NDS must present a coherent, unified stance, changes in one document required matching edits in the other, which extended the review process.

Balancing diplomacy and defense

Administration officials have been pursuing sensitive trade talks with China while the Pentagon continues to characterize China as the United States’ top military competitor. That tension — between diplomatic engagement and strategic competition — is reflected in the editing debates.

In a public appearance at a recent summit, Bessent said China was meeting its purchase commitments under the bilateral trade agreement, including buying significant volumes of soybeans, and that the agreement was on track. Treasury officials issued a statement saying Bessent is aligned with the president on how to manage U.S.-China relations.

Concurrent defense and communication efforts

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to speak about accelerating weapons development to address the China challenge, while also working with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, to establish a U.S.-China military communication mechanism aimed at reducing the risk of misunderstandings in the Indo-Pacific.

These diplomatic and trade moves come amid a major Chinese military buildup in the Indo-Pacific and rising tensions in the South China Sea, particularly between China and the Philippines over maritime features. The U.S. has supplied the Philippines with more advanced military equipment in recent years in part to deter regional pressure. China has also regularly flown aircraft and deployed naval vessels near Taiwan’s coastline, heightening regional concerns.

What the documents will emphasize

The forthcoming NSS is expected to place greater emphasis on the Western Hemisphere — addressing migration, transnational crime and relations with Latin America — while still covering strategic competition with China and Russia, economic resilience, and other long-standing priorities. The new NDS is reported to similarly emphasize homeland defense and Western Hemisphere priorities, a shift that has prompted concern among some military commanders.

Both strategies are expected to be followed by a global posture review assessing the distribution of U.S. forces worldwide — a review closely watched by U.S. allies that host significant troop deployments.

Sources: multiple administration officials and people familiar with the drafting process spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.