US President Donald Trump said he is not worried about Beijing's military drills around Taiwan, choosing to instead highlight his rapport with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn't told me anything about [the drills]. I certainly have seen it, Trump told reporters at a press conference on Monday.
No, nothing worries me. They've been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area, he said.
The two-day war games kicked off on Monday - nearly two weeks after the US announced one of its largest-ever arms sales to Taiwan. The sale had angered Beijing, which views the self-governing island as a breakaway province.
China's military exercises on Tuesday will involve 10 hours of live-firing exercises in the sea and airspace around five locations surrounding the island.
China's Eastern Theater Command stated that it has deployed destroyers, frigates, and fighter-bombers to test the military's sea-air coordination and integrated containment capabilities.
The drills simulate the seizure and blockade of key areas around the island, presenting a warning against Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference, according to the Chinese military.
Taiwan's presidential office has denounced the drills as a challenge to international norms.
China has long pledged to "reunify" with Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal.
In recent years, China has ramped up military pressure over Taipei with enhanced military drills and frequent incursions into Taiwan's waters and airspace. In light of these tensions, Taiwan has announced a plan to increase defense spending to modernize its armed forces.
While Trump downplays China's ongoing military drills, his administration recently confirmed an $11 billion weapons package to Taiwan, including advanced rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers, and various missiles.
The US maintains formal relations with Beijing instead of Taiwan but remains a significant ally and arms supplier to the island.
Following the arms sale, China implemented sanctions on several US defense firms and asserted that any attempt to contain China by using Taiwan will absolutely not succeed.
