PLA drills around Taiwan 'unwarranted': US State Department

The United States is concerned by China's "unwarranted" and potentially escalatory military drills around Taiwan, the US State Department has said, Report informs via CNA English News.

"The United States is seriously concerned by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement late October 13 (US local time), referring to China's military.

"The PRC response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation," Miller said, referring to China's official name, the People's Republic of China.

The PLA announced early on October 14 morning that it had launched military drills code-named "Joint Sword-2024B" involving its army, navy, air and rocket forces in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan.

It described the military drills as a "stern warning to the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces," in reference to its claim -- strongly opposed by Taipei -- that Taiwan is a part of its territory.

The drills are focused on "sea-air combat-readiness patrol, blockade on key ports and areas, assault on maritime and ground targets, as well as joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, so as to test the joint operations capabilities of the theater command's troops," according to the PLA's Eastern Theater Command.