Beijing, 2 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - China's military on Wednesday said it was continuing a large-scale military exercise around the island of Taiwan.

On the second day of the exercise, units were running drills in the central and southern part of the Taiwan Strait, said the spokesman for the Chinese military's Eastern Theatre Command, Shi Yi, with the exercise involving precision strikes on simulated key targets.

The exercise was titled "Strait Thunder-2025A," suggesting that another one would follow later this year. Last year, China held two major military exercises around Taiwan in May and October, titled Joint Sword-2024A and Joint Sword-2024B.

The joint exercise involving the army, navy, air force and missile unit began on Tuesday. By that afternoon, Taiwan's Defence Ministry had detected dozens of Chinese military aircraft, 21 warships - including an aircraft carrier - and four coastguard ships off its islands.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said it had been monitoring the movements of Chinese military assets since Saturday.

In addition to regular military exercises, Chinese fighter jets fly almost daily into Taiwan's air defence zone, usually prompting a response from Taiwan's Air Force.

China regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and has repeatedly threatened to invade it in the past. It has warned other countries, notably the United States, to stop supporting Taiwan, regarding this as interference in China's domestic affairs.

Democratic Taiwan, with around 23.4 million inhabitants, has had an independent government since 1949.

China sees Taiwan's government as separatist

Beijing considers Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has been in power since 2016, to be separatists because it advocates for Taiwanese independence.

However, Lai has stated that he does not seek to formally declare independence.

According to Beijing, the exercise is intended as "a serious warning and an act of containment against 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," as Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

US and Europe critical of the drills

The United States and the European Union criticized China's exercises in separate statements.

"Once again, China's aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the region's security and the world's prosperity at risk," said US Department of State's spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

"In the face of China's intimidation tactics and destabilizing behavior, the United States' enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues. The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including through force or coercion."

Meanwhile, the European Union's diplomatic arm, the European External Action Service (EEAS), said the dills were "increasing cross-strait tensions."

"Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity," an EEAS spokesperson said in a brief statement.

"The EU has a direct interest in the preservation of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that may further escalate tensions, which should be resolved through cross-strait dialogue."

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the US for reaffirming US support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposing any attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion.

MIA file photo