The US reacts to China's large-scale military exercises near Taiwan

The US State Department has accused China of "military provocations" for conducting large-scale military exercises in the South China Sea around the island of Taiwan after the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Bloomberg.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, 111 Chinese aircraft and dozens of naval ships have surrounded the island over the past two days.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller noted that the US is "deeply concerned" by these developments.

"We strongly urge Beijing to exercise restraint. Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and undermines long-standing norms that have supported peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait for decades," he said in a statement on Saturday.

Beijing expressed displeasure with the new government in Taipei, accusing Lai of seeking independence and destabilizing the region. Chinese exercises have become the largest around Taiwan in the past year.

State broadcaster CCTV said on Saturday that China's military had "successfully completed all missions" aimed at Taiwan.

"These exercises have ushered in a new era of normalized practices. The PLA (National Liberation Army of China. - Ed.) will step forward every time Taiwanese separatists carry out provocative actions," said Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the National Defense University of the PLA National Defense University, in an interview with CCTV. .

The Chinese news agency Xinhua, citing a military representative, said that the purpose of the exercise was "to serve as a severe punishment for the separatist actions of forces advocating for the independence of Taiwan."

At the same time, the Pentagon "remains confident in the current deployment of American forces and operations in the Indo-Pacific region" and "expressed its concern" about the Chinese exercises.