BEIJING, June 25 -- China on Thursday expressed strong opposition to the annual defense policy bill passed by the U.S. Senate, which contains a section inviting Taiwan to join military drills.

"We are firmly opposed to any country's military contact with Taiwan. Our position is consistent and clear," said Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun at a monthly briefing.

The U.S. Senate passed an annual defense policy bill last Thursday that authorizes some 600 billion U.S. dollars in defense spending for the 2016 fiscal year, and initiates measures that could help cut costs, according to reports.

"We urge the U.S. side to abide by the three China-U.S. joint communiques, properly settle the Taiwan issue, and maintain the healthy growth of military ties and overall relations between both countries," Yang said.