Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong is seen in this screenshot taken from a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday.
The US has reiterated its stance of opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this during a press briefing yesterday when asked about the Chinese military drills around Taiwan.
Leavitt said that President Trump emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, adding that the US encourages the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Her remarks come after China’s military said, it began joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan.
In a social media post, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence condemned China’s drills, calling them irrational activities that undermined regional peace. The post said that Taiwan strongly condemned the People’s Republic of China’s irrational provocations. Taiwan firmly oppose People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) actions that undermine regional peace.
Standing guard at the forefront of freedom and democracy, remain steadfast in defending its territorial sovereignty. The development comes days after US Defence Chief Pete Hegseth, vowed to counter China’s aggression on his first visit to Asia.
The Trump administration on Tuesday warned China after Beijing announced joint military exercises around Taiwan involving its army, navy, air force, and rocket force, with the White House reiterating its opposition to any unilateral efforts to change the status quo through force or coercion.
“The National Security Council briefed me on this this morning, and they said that the president is emphasising the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, encouraging the peaceful resolution of these cross-strait issues, reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” CNN quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as telling reporters during Tuesday’s press briefing.
“That is directly from the national security adviser,” she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, CNN reported China’s recent military exercises have heightened concerns in Taiwan, especially as President Trump reshapes Washington’s global relationships with his “America First” foreign policy.
This approach has led to the abandonment of long-standing commitments to Europe and has pressured Asian allies to contribute more for US protection.
China conducted military drills off the north, south, and east coasts of Taiwan on Tuesday, issuing a “stern warning” against separatism and labeling Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te a “parasite.” In response, Taiwan deployed warships as China’s navy approached its shores.
China’s military utilised ships, aircraft, and artillery to practice blockading the island, conducting strikes on ground and maritime targets, and performing air interception maneuvers to “test forces’ coordination in combat,” Reuters quoted a statement from Beijing’s Eastern Theatre Command.
Two senior Taiwan officials stated that more than 10 Chinese military ships had approached close to Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile (44 km) contiguous zone and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had not detected any live fire by the Chinese military, but that at least 71 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships were involved. It said it did not know when the drills would end.
Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said Taiwan’s armed forces had elevated their readiness level to ensure that China does not “turn drills into combat” and “launch a sudden attack on us”.
China’s foreign ministry said the drills “are legitimate and necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and safeguard national unity”.
“China’s reunification is an unstoppable trend – it will happen and it must happen,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson, said at a regular news conference on Tuesday.
