President Donald Trump has publicly minimized concerns regarding Beijing’s ongoing military exercises around Taiwan, instead emphasizing his strong personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The remarks came during a press conference on Monday, nearly two weeks after the United States unveiled an $11 billion arms sale package to Taiwan—one of the largest such transactions in history.
When questioned about the drills, Trump stated: ‘I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t told me anything about [the drills]. I certainly have seen it. No, nothing worries me. They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area.’
The Chinese military launched a two-day exercise simulating the seizure and blockade of key areas on Taiwan, explicitly characterizing the operations as a warning against ‘Taiwan independence separatist forces’ and ‘external interference.’ The Eastern Theater Command deployed destroyers, frigates, and fighter-bombers to test sea-air coordination and integrated containment capabilities. Live-firing exercises were scheduled across five locations surrounding the island.
Taiwan’s presidential office condemned the maneuvers as a breach of international norms. In response to growing military pressure from Beijing—which includes frequent incursions into Taiwanese air and sea space—Taiwan has plans to modernize its armed forces through increased defense spending.
The U.S. maintains formal diplomatic relations with China rather than Taiwan but continues to be the island’s primary military ally and arms supplier. The recent weapons package includes advanced rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers, and missiles.
China retaliated against the arms sale by imposing sanctions on several U.S. defense firms. The Chinese Foreign Ministry asserted that any attempt to ‘contain China by using Taiwan will absolutely not succeed.’