The recent large-scale Chinese military exercise simulating a siege of Taiwan has provoked a strong reaction from the US State Department.
Thomas Pigott, deputy spokesman for the US State Department, stated in a statement titled “Response to China’s Military Exercises Near Taiwan” that Beijing’s military activities and rhetoric towards Taiwan are unnecessarily increasing tensions.
He stressed that the United States supports peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral change to the status quo, including through the use of force or coercion.
Pigott called on China to exercise restraint, stop military pressure against Taiwan, and engage in meaningful dialogue.
The exercise took place on Monday of this week, and the Chinese military described it as a “serious warning against separatist forces.”
This US reaction comes at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his New Year’s message, called the reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait “unstoppable.”
