PLA drills around Taiwan 'unwarranted': U.S. State Department

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) The United States is concerned by China's "unwarranted" and potentially escalatory military drills around Taiwan, the U.S. State Department has said.

"The United States is seriously concerned by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement late Sunday (U.S. local time), referring to China's military.

"The PRC response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation," Miller said, referring to China's official name, the People's Republic of China.

The PLA announced early on Monday morning that it had launched military drills code-named "Joint Sword-2024B" involving its army, navy, air and rocket forces in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.

It described the military drills as a "stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces," in reference to its claim -- strongly opposed by Taipei -- that Taiwan is a part of its territory.

The drills are focused on "sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade on key ports and areas, assault on maritime and ground targets, as well as joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, so as to test the joint operations capabilities of the theater command's troops," according to the PLA's Eastern Theater Command.

China's announcement of military drills came four days after President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) gave his first National Day address on Thursday, in which he said China has "no right to represent Taiwan" and reiterated that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are "not subordinate" to each other.

In its statement, the U.S. State Department called on China to "act with restraint and avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which is "essential to regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern."

"We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns," the State Department said.

China previously held similar large-scale military drills encircling Taiwan on May 23-24, just days after Lai's presidential inauguration.

It also conducted large scale military exercises in August 2022, following a visit to Taiwan by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.