China's Taiwan drills raise global concerns, lawmakers call for action

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) China conducted its second day of military drills around Taiwan, including live-fire exercises, on Tuesday, prompting lawmakers from the United States, Germany and an international organization of legislators, to warn of rising tensions and urge emergency measures to support Taiwan.

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker stated on X, formerly Twitter, that China's invasion rehearsals of Taiwan are intensifying, demonstrating the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) blockade capabilities and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ability to coerce Taipei.

The U.S. must act urgently by speeding up production to support recent Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan and by implementing congressionally authorized Presidential Drawdown Authority and Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative funding for critical military capabilities, said the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Wicker also called on "our Taiwanese allies" to set aside partisan differences to fully fund President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) proposed special defense budget.

He was referring to Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP), which have continued to block the NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.96 billion) budget approved by the Lai government in late November to fund weapons procurement and joint development programs from the U.S. from 2026 to 2033.

"There is no time to waste," the Republican lawmaker wrote in the post.

Regarding the drills around Taiwan, Chinese authorities said they were a response to the latest U.S.-approved arms sale under the Trump administration, totaling US$11.1 billion and including M109A7 howitzers, HIMARS rocket systems, anti-tank missiles, and drones.

U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, both Republican, also took to X to voice their support for Taiwan.

"The United States stands with Taiwan and will continue to oppose coercion, aggression, and threats to regional stability," Diaz-Balart wrote.

Cotton commended the Trump administration for its dedication to ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and called Taiwan a strong and reliable U.S. partner.

In a post on X, Roderich Kiesewetter, a Bundestag member representing the Christian Democratic Union, urged the German government to condemn China's actions, support Taiwan, and reconsider the one-China policy dictated by Beijing.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international network of legislators from democratic nations, said that the exercise represented the PLA's deliberate escalation of coercive pressure against Taiwan and a dangerous step away from restraint.

They indicate the CCP's growing reliance on military intimidation, raises the risk of miscalculation, destabilizing the Taiwan Strait, and threatening Indo-Pacific and global prosperity, the IPAC said in a statement.

IPAC urged governments to act urgently and unitedly, moving beyond statements to adopt a common deterrence plan that raises the costs of aggression, strengthens collective preparedness, and ensures a coordinated response to escalation.

Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippines' representative office in Taiwan, also voiced concern over the drill in a statement.

MECO stated that developments increasing the risk of tension, miscalculation, or conflict in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding region are "deeply worrying," especially given their potential effects on regional stability, trade routes, and the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos living and working in Taiwan.

"We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalatory actions, and keep communication channels open," the statement read.