China military drills near Taiwan 'unnecessarily' raise tensions, says US State Dept.

WASHINGTON - 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 this week to encircle Taiwan's main island, saying the drills simulated a blockade of main Taiwanese ports.

Taipei condemned the exercises as "highly provocative."

China claims that democratic 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," Pigott said.

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. I certainly have seen 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.

"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 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 itself would intervene in an invasion.

China's latest military exercise was the sixth major round of maneuvers since 2022 when a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing. — Agence France-Presse