US Urges China to End Military Drills as Taiwan-China Tensions Escalate

US Urges China to End Military Drills as Taiwan-China Tensions Escalate

The United States has called on China to halt its military pressure on Taiwan, warning that Beijing’s recent war games around the self-ruled island have unnecessarily heightened Taiwan-China tensions in the region.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Thursday that China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan increase tensions and urged Beijing to exercise restraint and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Earlier this week, China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships, and coastguard vessels to encircle Taiwan, simulating a blockade of the island’s main ports. The exercises drew sharp condemnation from Taipei, which called the drills “highly provocative.”

China maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to achieve reunification. In response to international criticism, a Chinese defence ministry spokesman defended the maneuvers as “legitimate” and warned foreign countries to adhere to the One-China principle and avoid “stirring up trouble” in the Taiwan Strait.

READ ALSO:

• Nigerian Army Frees Five Abductees, Finds Bodies in Kogi Forest Operation
• No One Can Hold Nigerians to Ransom, Says Sheikh Gumi as Peter Obi Defects to ADC
• Two Years After Bodija Blast, Oyo Govt Says Federal ₦30bn Intervention Fund Unused

US President Donald Trump appeared unconcerned about the drills, stating he does not believe President Xi Jinping will order an invasion, citing their reportedly strong personal relationship.

The tensions follow the Trump administration’s approval of an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, reaffirming decades of US commitment to Taiwan’s self-defense, while maintaining deliberate ambiguity about direct military intervention in the event of a Chinese invasion.

China’s latest exercises mark the sixth major round of military drills around Taiwan since 2022, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, a move that drew Beijing’s fury.

“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, reiterating Washington’s call for dialogue and de-escalation.

Analysts warn that continued China-Taiwan military confrontations risk escalating regional security threats, potentially drawing in other powers invested in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.

US Urges China to End Military Drills as Taiwan-China Tensions Escalate

AFP