The United States expressed concern today about China's latest round of military maneuvers near Taiwan, stressing that they are unjustified exercises that could "escalate" tension in the region.
In a statement, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the People's Republic of China's "militarily provocative" response to Taiwan leader William Lai's "routine annual speech" last week "is unjustified and risks escalating the situation."
"We urge the People's Republic of China to exercise restraint and avoid any action that could undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region, which is essential to regional peace and prosperity and is an international concern," the US official warned.
"We continue to closely monitor the activities of the People's Republic of China and coordinate with allies and partners on our shared concerns," the statement added, recalling that the US remains "committed" to its 'one China' policy.
The statements come after Beijing began military exercises around Taiwan today, called Joint Sword-2024B, in which it is staging the blockade and takeover of ports and key areas of the island, as well as attacks on naval and land targets.
The maneuvers involve land, sea, air and missile forces and are similar to those China carried out last May, also in the Taiwan Strait and around the autonomous territory over which Beijing claims sovereignty.
Today's action is the fifth time China has resorted to such maneuvers since 2022, when it carried out the first of its kind in response to a visit by then-Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which angered Beijing and raised tensions between the two sides of the Strait to levels not seen in decades.
The island is a major source of friction between Beijing and Washington, as the United States is Taiwan's main arms supplier and could intervene to defend the island in the event of a conflict.
