Trump unfazed as China’s live-fire Taiwan drills move into second day

Donald Trump has played down concerns over China’s ongoing live-fire military exercises around Taiwan, saying he is unconcerned by the drills and maintains a strong relationship with Chinese president Xi Jinping, who he noted “hasn’t said anything to me about it”, The Daily Baku reports.

Trump’s remarks come as China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducts a large-scale, two-day surprise military simulation on Monday and Tuesday, an operation Beijing has labelled “Justice Mission 2025”.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the PLA fired 27 missiles from mainland China into nearby waters on Tuesday morning. Since 6am, authorities also detected at least 70 Chinese military aircraft, 11 naval vessels and 14 ships from China’s heavily militarised coast guard operating around the island.

Taiwanese officials said the missiles reached closer to the main island than in previous drills, with some landing inside Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone. At least 13 vessels were also spotted within those restricted waters.

The latest activity follows the detection of 130 aircraft, 28 ships, amphibious assault vessels and a surveillance balloon during the 24-hour period ending at 6am on Tuesday.

When questioned about the drills on Monday, Trump said he enjoyed a “great relationship with President Xi” and added that the Chinese leader had not mentioned the exercises to him.

“I’ve certainly seen what’s happening,” Trump said. “But I don’t believe he’s going to do it,” appearing to dismiss the likelihood of an actual invasion. “Nothing worries me.”

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has vowed to bring it under Beijing’s control, by force if necessary. US intelligence assessments from recent years suggest China aims to be capable of launching an invasion by 2027. In the meantime, Beijing has relied on sustained military pressure and political intimidation to push Taiwan toward what it calls “peaceful reunification”.

The United States remains Taiwan’s most important supporter against China’s ambitions, though Trump’s position — particularly during his second term — has often appeared inconsistent. Trump met Xi in October, later saying Taiwan was not discussed, and is expected to travel to Beijing next year for a formal summit.

Chinese state media and the PLA said the exercises were designed to rehearse a blockade of Taiwan’s major ports, counter “external interference”, and test joint air-sea operations, including precision strikes against submarines and maritime targets. Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, condemned the drills on Tuesday, saying China was failing to act as a responsible global power.

“We will defend our sovereignty,” Lai said, while stressing that Taiwan would act responsibly and avoid escalating tensions.

Defence minister Wellington Koo accused Beijing of ignoring international norms, warning the drills were intended to conduct “cognitive warfare”, weaken Taiwan’s military readiness, and sow division within Taiwanese society.

The current exercises are the sixth — and largest — aimed at Taiwan since 2022, when China staged major manoeuvres in response to a visit by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

While such drills typically require long-term planning and are often part of routine training, the PLA frequently frames them as responses to perceived provocations. This week, Chinese officials pointed specifically to Washington’s recent approval of a record $11bn arms sale to Taiwan.

Analysts say any Chinese attack on Taiwan would almost certainly draw in the United States and potentially Japan. Japanese politician Sanae Takaichi recently suggested Japan’s military would likely become involved if China launched an assault, comments that angered Beijing.

China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said on Tuesday that Beijing would “resolutely oppose and forcefully counter” what he described as continued provocations from Taiwan’s pro-independence forces and large-scale US arms sales.

Wang also indicated the drills were intended as a warning to Japan, accusing its leaders of openly challenging China’s territorial claims.

An editorial in the state-run Xinhua news agency said the exercises served as a reminder that reunification was inevitable and that Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party could not defy public will.

“The DPP’s illusion of achieving ‘Taiwan independence’ through reliance on the United States will only increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait and push the island closer to conflict,” the editorial said.

China-based analysts noted that the drills followed closely after Taiwanese officials — including Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an — attended a “twin cities” forum in Shanghai.

Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, said the timing reflected Beijing’s “dual-track strategy” toward Taiwan, combining diplomatic outreach with military pressure.