US urges Beijing to end military pressure against Taiwan, ‘engage in meaningful dialogue’
New Year’s Day message from the US State Department follows drill around island that saw over 30 warships deployed, according to Taipei
The US State Department on Thursday urged Beijing to end intimidating military moves in the area around Taiwan that it said create needless anxiety and stress.
Washington’s New Year’s Day message followed a two-day live-fire exercise that Beijing wrapped up on Tuesday, dubbed Justice Mission 2025, that played out on a more extensive scale than its predecessors.
“China’s military activities and rhetoric towards Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,” said Tommy Pigott, the agency’s principal deputy spokesperson.
“We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue.”
Pigott added that the US supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and “opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion”.
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People’s Liberation Army holds second day of live-fire exercises around Taiwan
The Chinese embassy in Washington countered that the US is the one undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait with its “external connivance”.