U.S. urges Beijing to show 'restraint' after drills near Taiwan

Washington, Jan. 1 (CNA) The United States has urged Beijing to pull back on its campaign to pressure Taiwan militarily following its latest live-fire military drills around the island held earlier this week.

"China's military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily," Tommy Pigott, the U.S. State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday.

"We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue," Pigott said.

"The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion."

A number of other countries have also voiced concerns over the latest People's Liberation Army (PLA) drills, including the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.

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The PLA carried out what it called "Justice Mission-2025" military exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, saying it was a "stern warning to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that the PLA fired 27 rockets during the second day of the drills, with 10 landing in waters within Taiwan's 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone, the closest ever Chinese live-fire activity to Taiwan.