‘They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area,’ the president said.
President Donald Trump responded to reports of Chinese naval drills near Taiwan at a press conference Dec. 29, saying Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping had not told him about it.
“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 don’t believe he’s going to be doing it,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question.
“Nothing worries me,” he added. “They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area.”
On Monday, the CCP began a new round of military exercises around Taiwan that are scheduled to continue through Tuesday, according to the China Maritime Safety Administration.
The live-fire drills are the largest to date in terms of area coverage and the closest to Taiwan.
They include anti-submarine operations, a blockade of Taiwan’s main ports, airspace target neutralization, long-distance raids, and deployment of long-range rockets for simulated maritime and ground strikes, according to the China Eastern Theater Command. Destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles, and amphibious assault ships were deployed.
A Chinese spokesperson said the drills were a warning against Taiwanese independence.
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 89 Chinese military aircraft, 28 warships and coast guard vessels, and four ships as part of an amphibious assault formation.
Taiwanese Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said Beijing’s actions were irresponsible and provocative.
“China’s actions not only violently undermine the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, but also constitute a blatant challenge to international law and the international order,” Kuo said.
The drills come two weeks after the United States approved a record $11 billion arms sales package for Taiwan.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the package “serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests” and helps maintain stability in the region.
The sale involved $4 billion in systems, $4 billion in self-propelled howitzers, $1.1 billion in Altius drones and related equipment, $1 billion in military software and equipment, $375 million in Javelin anti-tank missiles, $353 million in anti-armor missiles, $96 million in AH-1W helicopter parts, and $91 million in Harpoon missile refurbishment kits.
