Chinese Military Drills Around Taiwan Raise Tensions ‘Unnecessarily,’ US Says

The U.S. State Department has called on the Chinese regime to stop military pressure on Taiwan, after Beijing fired missiles and sent a large number of warplanes and naval vessels near the island in its live-fire military drills earlier this week. “China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily,“ Tommy Pigott, spokesperson for the State Department, said in a statement on Jan. 1. He urged Beijing to exercise restraint and “engage in meaningful dialogue” instead. “The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion,” Pigott added....