WASHINGTON

The US on Thursday urged China to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and engage in meaningful dialogue following Beijing’s latest military exercises near the island.

“China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. “We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue.”

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

Beijing launched the Justice Mission 2025 joint military drills on Monday, days after the US approved a one-time record sale of arms worth over $11 billion to Taipei.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday that the drills are "a punitive and deterrent response to Taiwan independence separatist forces who attempt to seek independence through military buildup."

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said Beijing “has continued to escalate military tension in the region, which is not the behavior of a responsible world power," according to Focus Taiwan.

"Taiwan will not provoke a confrontation, nor seek conflict with China," he added.

China regards Taiwan as a "breakaway province," while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.