China military drills near Taiwan ‘unnecessarily’ raise tensions: US
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China launched missiles and deployed fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels on Dec 29 and 30, 2025, to encircle Taiwan.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – Chinese war games around Taiwan “unnecessarily” spiked tensions in the region, the US State Department said on Jan 1, calling on Beijing to “cease its military pressure”.
“China’s military activities and rhetoric towards 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.
Beijing launched missiles
Taipei condemned the exercises as “highly provocative”.
China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use 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,” Mr Pigott added.
China again defended the drills as “legitimate” on Jan 2, 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 on Dec 29 he was not concerned about China’s live-fire drills, appearing to brush aside a 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. I certainly have seen it,” Mr Trump told reporters when asked about the exercises.
“I don’t believe he’s going to be doing it,” he said in apparent reference to an invasion. “They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area. Now people take it a little bit differently.”
Beijing’s show of force came after the Trump administration approved a US$11 billion (S$14.1 billion) arms package for Taiwan.
The US has been committed for decades to ensuring Taiwan’s self-defence, while staying ambiguous on whether the US military would intervene in an invasion.
China’s latest military exercise was the sixth major round of manoeuvres since 2022 when a visit to Taiwan by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
