Seoul: The State Department has called on China to cease its military pressure on Taiwan and engage in dialogue following recent military drills conducted by Beijing near the island. The drills were a response to the United States' announcement of a significant weapons package for Taiwan.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Tommy Pigott, the principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, issued a statement after China's People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command announced the conclusion of Exercise Justice Mission 2025. The exercises, which took place on Monday and Tuesday, involved Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force personnel in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas. The Chinese military described the drills as a warning against separatist forces and external interference.

Pigott emphasized that China's military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and the region unnecessarily increase tensions. He urged Beijing to exercise restraint, cease military pressure against Taiwan, and engage in meaningful dialogue. The spokesperson reiterated the United States' commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and its opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo, whether by force or coercion.

The military exercises followed Washington's announcement of an $11 billion weapons sale package to Taiwan last month, which provoked a strong reaction from Beijing. In response to the drills, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he was not concerned about the exercise, reaffirming his claim of having a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump noted that naval exercises have been routine in the region for two decades.