Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has spent months trying to secure an official visit to Beijing, but China has so far declined to invite him. The apparent reason is Beijing's anger over the Trump administration's $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan, along with broader U.S.-China tensions. Colby, a longtime China hawk, sees the trip—particularly a speech at China's National Defense University—as an opportunity to stabilize military ties and explain U.S. defense policy. However, Chinese officials remain reluctant, citing both Taiwan-related tensions and Colby's history of hardline views on China. Source: POLITICO