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By Jesus Mesa and Gabe Whisnant
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The Trump administration on Thursday warned China to halt military pressure on Taiwan, saying Beijing’s actions and rhetoric are raising tensions unnecessarily in the region. The State Department urged China in a New Year's Day statement to “exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue.
“China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily. We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Thursday. “The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion," he added.
Why It Matters
The drills reflect Beijing’s increasingly assertive military posture toward Taiwan. China claims the island as its territory, despite the Chinese Communist Party never having ruled it. After losing the civil war, the Chinese Nationalist government fled to Taiwan, which now operates as a sovereign state with its own elected government, diplomatic relations, and military.
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What To Know
The administration’s statement came after approving an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, one of the largest in recent years. The deal includes missile systems, naval platforms, and radar upgrades intended to bolster the island’s defenses.
Beijing responded with its sixth round of large-scale military drills since 2022, simulating a blockade of Taiwan’s key ports under the codename “Justice Mission 2025.” China deployed fighter jets, naval ships, and coast guard vessels around the island and fired 27 rockets from its eastern coast. Taiwanese military officials said some landed closer to the main island than ever before.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has not ruled out using force to achieve unification, and U.S. defense officials believe he has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be capable of moving against Taiwan by the end of 2027. In his New Year’s Eve address, Xi again underscored Beijing’s push for unification.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship,” Xi said Wednesday. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable!”
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, played down the threat of an imminent invasion. “I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t told me anything about it,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t believe he’s going to be doing it.” He added that China has conducted naval exercises in the region for decades, saying recent drills are being viewed “a little bit differently.”
China’s drills this week mark the sixth major round of military maneuvers around Taiwan since 2022, when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei prompted a furious response from Beijing. Since then, violations of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone have surged, from 41 documented incidents in November 2021 to 266 by November 2025, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.
What People Are Saying
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's president, wrote in a December 30 statement posted to social media: "China’s military provocations along the First Island Chain severely disrupt global maritime trade, air traffic & regional peace. Taiwan continues to act responsibly, neither escalating tensions nor yielding to threats—we will steadfastly defend our freedom against coercion."
Xi, in his New Year's Eve address, said: "The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set. We should focus on our goals and tasks, boost confidence, and build momentum to press ahead."
Sean King, Asia scholar and vice president of New York-based consultancy Park Strategies, told Newsweek: "People obviously had these drills in the can, just waiting for the latest purported outrage to stage them. People should thus, at the very least, finally stop blaming Pelosi for her Taiwan visit, after which Beijing chose to stage similar exercises."
What Happens Next
China’s leadership is expected to hash out its agenda for the country’s next Five-Year Plan early next year, with many key initiatives to be announced during the National People’s Congress in March.
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Update 12/31/25, 3:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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