China military drills near Taiwan ‘unnecessarily’ raise tensions: US

By : AFP

Date: 2 January 2026 9:45am WAT

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China military drills near Taiwan

China military drills near Taiwan

Chinese war games around Taiwan “unnecessarily” spiked tensions in the region, the US State Department said Thursday, calling on Beijing to “cease its military pressure.”

“China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily. We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement. Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels on Monday and Tuesday to encircle Taiwan, saying the drills simulated a blockade of the self-ruled island’s main ports.

Taipei condemned the exercises as “highly provocative.” China claims that democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has refused to rule out using force to annex it. “The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion,” Pigott said.

China again defended the drills as “legitimate” on Friday, and warned countries to “stop stirring up trouble on the Taiwan Strait issue.” “We urge relevant countries and institutions to strictly abide by the one-China principle,” a Chinese defence ministry spokesman said in a statement responding to calls for restraint, including from the United States. US President Donald Trump said Monday he was not concerned about China’s live-fire drills, appearing to brush aside the possibility of counterpart Xi Jinping ordering an invasion.

“I have a great relationship with President Xi. And he hasn’t told me anything about it,” Trump told reporters when asked about the exercises. “I don’t believe he’s going to be doing it,” Trump said in apparent reference to an invasion. Beijing’s show of force came after the Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.

The United States has been committed for decades to ensuring Taiwan’s self-defense, while staying ambiguous on whether the US military would intervene in an invasion. China’s latest exercises were the sixth major round of maneuvers since 2022 when a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing.

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