Trump not worried by China’s simulated attack on Taiwan, he says, as live-fire drills enter second day | China
Donald Trump says he is not concerned about China’s real-time military drills surrounding Taiwan and has a great relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who “told me nothing about it.”
The US president was commenting one day on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) simulation of a surprise attack that began on Monday and continued into Tuesday with live missile launches into the Taiwan Strait.
The PLA, the armed wing of China’s ruling Communist party, said it deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles and long-range missiles “close to” Taiwan on Monday to test “sea-air coordination and precision target hunting and neutralization” including attacks on submarines and other naval targets.
According to US intelligence from several years ago, Beijing claims that Taiwan is a Chinese province and is preparing to annex Taiwan militarily, with the goal of being able to occupy it by 2027. Meanwhile, it uses a range of military and non-military forms of harassment and intimidation to persuade or coerce Taiwan into agreeing to “peaceful reunification”.
Taiwan’s defense ministry announced that 24 hours before Tuesday morning, it detected at least 14 navy ships, 14 coast guard ships, a surveillance balloon and 130 warplanes and unmanned aerial vehicles around Taiwan within the scope of the exercise called “Justice Mission 2025” by China.
Asked about Monday’s exercises, Trump said he “has a great relationship with President Xi and he hasn’t said anything to me about it.”
“I definitely saw that… I don’t believe he would do that,” Trump said, appearing to refer to an actual invasion. “Nothing worries me.”
The United States is Taiwan’s key supporter in its resistance to Beijing’s annexation plans, but Trump’s stance has been inconsistent – especially in his second term. Trump met with Xi in October but said Taiwan “didn’t come to this issue.” He is expected to visit Beijing for a more formal meeting next year.
On Tuesday morning, a number of live rockets were seen firing from Pingtan, the Chinese coastal province closest to Taiwan’s main island. Shortly thereafter, the PLA said in a statement: “At 9:00 am on December 30, ground forces of the PLA Eastern Front Command conducted long-range live fire exercises in the waters north of Taiwan Island and achieved the desired effects.”
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the impact sites were “scattered within a 24 nautical mile area of Taiwan.”
Defense minister Wellington Koo said the exercises ignored international norms and were “clearly aimed at providing cognitive warfare and exhausting Taiwan’s combat capabilities… and creating division and conflict within Taiwanese society.”
The PLA and Chinese state media said these exercises focused on simulating a blockade of major ports in Taiwan and preventing “external foreign interference.” A Beijing attack on Taiwan is widely expected to draw the United States to the defense of Taiwan and potentially Japan, based on recent comments by the country’s prime minister that have angered Beijing.
This week’s exercises were the sixth and largest targeting Taiwan since 2022, when major exercises surrounding Taiwan were held in retaliation for a visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Such exercises require extensive planning and are often part of general training, but the PLA often associates them with perceived acts of provocation. This week, Chinese officials and state media specifically cited the US government’s recent approval of a record $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan.
“In response to the constant provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must of course resolutely oppose them and respond forcefully,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said in a speech in Beijing.
an editorial Official state media outlet Xinhua said the exercises “clearly reminded the DPP that the trend of national reunification is unstoppable and the will of the people cannot be defied.”
“The DPP’s delusional attempts to achieve ‘Taiwan independence’ by relying on US support will only increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait and push the island’s inhabitants towards the brink of conflict,” the statement said.
But Taiwan, where the vast majority of people reject the possibility of Chinese rule and support the status quo, said it was clear that China was the aggressor.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday that China was not behaving like a responsible world power. He said he would defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.
“We will act responsibly and will not escalate conflict or inflame disputes.”
