During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed that the United States opposes any attempt to change the current situation in the Taiwan Strait through force or pressure.

When asked about the Chinese military drills around Taiwan, Leavitt stated that President Trump stressed the need to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. She also mentioned that the US supports a peaceful resolution of issues between China and Taiwan. Leavitt said, "As a matter of fact, the National Security Council briefed me on this, this morning, and they said that the President is emphasising the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, encouraging the peaceful resolution of these cross-strait issues, reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. That is directly from the National Security". She made these comments after China's military declared on Tuesday that it had launched combined drills with its air force, rocket force, navy, and army around Taiwan as a "stern warning," according to CNN. 

In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence criticised China's drills, calling them unreasonable actions that threaten regional peace. "We strongly condemn the PRC's irrational provocations. We firmly oppose PLA's actions that undermine regional peace. Standing guard at the forefront of freedom and democracy, remain steadfast in defending our territorial sovereignty," Taiwan's MND said in a post on X. This development follows just days after US Defense Chief Pete Hegseth, during his first visit to Asia, promised to take action against "China's aggression," according to CNN.

China's military drills are designed to strengthen its ability to approach Taiwan from multiple directions. The exercises mainly focus on improving readiness for sea and air combat, carrying out joint operations to gain overall superiority, attacking both maritime and land targets, and blocking important areas and sea routes. These drills aim to test the joint operational capabilities of China's forces, according to a statement from the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command on social media.

"It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," the statement added. The latest military drills come after a series of events that have increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait. One major incident occurred in late February when Taiwan detained a cargo ship with a Chinese crew. Authorities were investigating the ship for allegedly cutting an undersea internet cable, marking the second similar incident in just a few months.