Title: Taiwan Responds to Chinese Military Drills with International Backing

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Taiwan has been combatting Chinese military pressure as Beijing hosts large-scale exercises around Taiwan’s main island. As Alan Lu reports, the drills have triggered condemnation from around the world.

Taiwan Coast Guard is calling on China to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

And Taiwan’s military is running drills to test how quickly it can block waterways if a conflict were to break out.

These measures in response to China’s ‘Justice Mission 2025’ exercise, major live-fire drills around Taiwan that wrapped up on Tuesday evening.

The military is closely tracking and responding with joint forces and firepower systems.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo says China’s highly provocative military actions seriously undermine regional peace and stability while posing major safety hazards and disruptions to shipping, trade and flight routes.

REPORTER:

These new drills are similar to China’s 2024 Joint Sword A and B exercises, both of which rehearsed a blockade scenario, but this time, China's military appears even closer to Taiwan.

The Chinese military even says it entered Taiwan’s territorial waters, a claim Taiwanese lawmakers dispute.

Although they designated a wide area for the exercises and some sections did come close to our contiguous zone, in reality, so far there have been no actual military actions that entered our contiguous zone or our airspace and territorial waters.

REPORTER:

Taiwan has deployed forces across the country.

Up north, armor artillery was put on alert. In central and Eastern Taiwan, tanks were readied, and in the south, they were prepped to respond quickly.

Taiwan’s Air Force has deployed F-16s to monitor Chinese fighter jets.

And at sea, Taiwan’s coast guard is driving off trespassing vessels.

Your actions have disrupted the order and safety of our waters. Turn away immediately and leave our waters as soon as possible.

REPORTER:

The sudden uptick in activity has attracted international attention.

Europe’s Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has slammed Beijing for what it calls a deliberate escalation of coercive pressure against Taiwan.

South Korea has also urged peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Donald Trump (US PRESIDENT):  

Well, I have a great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn't told me anything about it. I certainly have seen it, but he hasn't told me anything about it. And I don't believe he's going to be doing it.

REPORTER:

As China wraps up its military drills, the exercises have had far-reaching effects and have reignited debate in Taiwan over a stalled special defense budget — but whether the firing of Chinese guns just miles off Taiwan’s shores is enough to break the deadlock remains to be seen.