TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday (Aug. 20) condemned China’s most recent military exercise around Taiwan.

The drills, which saw over 40 Chinese military aircraft and multiple Chinese naval ships near Taiwan, were in response to Lai’s layovers in New York and San Francisco as part of his trip to Paraguay last week. China does not need to use U.S. transits by the president and vice president as an excuse for military exercises, Lai said, per CNA.

China should respect the Taiwanese's freedom in electing their own president, Lai said. U.S. transits should not be exploited to influence Taiwanese voters with the fear of war and impact Taiwan’s presidential election, he added.

Lai said he hopes China can realize that in recent years, the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has been repeatedly emphasized at G7 summits, NATO summits, EU meetings, and at the recent Camp David summit. No country is allowed to use force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, he said.

The vice president said China should refrain from unilateral actions that cause regional instability and international trouble. Instead, it should return to the path of mutual benefit and cooperation, which would benefit every country in the Indo-Pacific region, including itself.

On Tuesday (Aug. 15), Lai traveled to Paraguay to attend President Santiago Pena’s inauguration.