TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday criticized China for suddenly declaring a live-fire exercise zone 74 km south of Taiwan on Wednesday.

The ministry condemned China for announcing the drills without advanced notice as a “blatant violation of international norms.” MOFA said, “This provocative move once again undermined regional security and stability, posing a serious threat to air and maritime navigation in the area.”

MOFA urged China to exercise restraint, immediately halt its military provocations, and “stop using false pretenses to stir up trouble.”

The ministry said the live-fire drills confirmed China is the “biggest troublemaker for regional peace and stability, and the single largest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region."

It called on the international community to closely monitor the situation in the Taiwan Strait and to collectively condemn China's “repeated and unilateral actions that undermine regional peace and stability.” It said Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded countries to safeguard the rules-based international order in the region.