China calls new military drills near Taiwan a response to US

Foster Wong and Yian Lee, Bloomberg News on Mar 17, 2025

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China held new military exercises around Taiwan, linking them to recent U.S. moves backing the self-ruled archipelago.

A total of 42 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday, the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei said in statements. The planes entered sensitive zones around the main island and trained with naval vessels. The number of flights was the highest since a record 111 in October last year.

“Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait are a resolute response to foreign connivance and support to Taiwan independence and a serious warning to Taiwan separatist forces,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Mao pointed to “a series of wrong actions” by Washington, including the State Department deleting a phrase from a fact sheet saying the U.S. does “not support Taiwan independence. China had said earlier that changing the document meant the U.S. had “backpedaled” on its Taiwan position. The U.S. said at the time it remained committed to peace in the region.

The drills also follow a speech last week in which Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te labeled China a “foreign hostile force” and unveiled measures to counter infiltration, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.

The Foreign Ministry in Taipei condemned the latest People’s Liberation Army activity in a statement on Monday night, saying it undermined stability in the region.

Taiwan is in a complicated position in the relationship between China and the U.S., one that is already fraught over issues such as trade, technology transfers and human rights. Beijing has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control someday, by force if needed.

Washington is Taipei’s biggest military backer, though President Donald Trump has suggested it should have to pay for protection.

Taipei has indicated it remains confident in the U.S. On Monday, Szu-chien Hsu, deputy secretary general of the National Security Council in Taipei, said on a trip to India that Taiwan expects the Trump administration to continue to support it in case of hostilities with China.

Taiwan regularly finds itself under pressure from the PLA. Earlier this month, Taipei detected a record 11 Chinese balloons flying over its main island and nearby waters, shortly after China held military exercises in nearby waters.

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