TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US President Donald Trump on Monday said Chinese leader Xi Jinping had not informed him about China's large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, but said he was not worried about the situation.
Trump reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Xi and said “he hasn't told me anything about it. I've certainly seen it, but he hasn't told me anything about it," per CNA.
When asked whether he was worried about the exercises, Trump replied, “No, nothing worries me.” Questioned whether he was concerned about the PLA air and naval maneuvers around Taiwan, Trump said, “They've been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area.”
“Now people take it a little bit differently,” said Trump before claiming that China had launched even larger-scale drills in the past. “So we'll see, but they've been doing that for 20-25 years,” concluded Trump.
China’s Eastern Theater Command announced on Monday it would conduct the “Justice Mission-2025” exercises around Taiwan, with live-fire drills scheduled for Tuesday in five sea and air zones. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense responded by setting up an emergency operations center and initiating combat readiness drills.
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, told CNA that Beijing may be signaling to President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and the DPP not to sharply increase defense spending. She added that Chinese leaders may also want to show domestic audiences that the CCP is defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Strengthening the PLA’s combat capabilities is seen as crucial, and Xi has instructed the military to be prepared to seize Taiwan by 2027, said Glaser.
Thomas Shattuck, a senior program manager at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House, told CNA that the exercises are likely related to the US announcement of arms sales to Taiwan. He added that he sees these as part of the year-end series of drills, which will ultimately conclude with Xi’s New Year's address on Taiwan.
