China's drills around Taiwan prompt global alarm, lawmakers urge swift response

Taipei [Taiwan], December 31 (ANI): China continued military drills around Taiwan for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, conducting live-fire exercises that drew strong reactions from lawmakers in the United States, Germany and a global alliance of legislators, who warned of escalating tensions and called for urgent steps to support Taipei, Focus Taiwan reported.
Reacting to the drills, US Senator Roger Wicker said on X (formerly Twitter) that Beijing's actions showed intensifying preparations against Taiwan, highlighting the People's Liberation Army's ability to enforce a blockade and the Chinese Communist Party's capacity to pressure Taipei.
Wicker said Washington must move swiftly by accelerating production linked to recent Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan and by executing congressionally approved Presidential Drawdown Authority and Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative funding to deliver key defence capabilities. The remarks were made by the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to Focus Taiwan.
He also urged "our Taiwanese allies" to put aside political divisions to ensure passage of President Lai Ching-te's proposed special defence budget.
The appeal was directed at Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, which have continued to block the NT 1.25 trillion (USD 39.96 billion) plan approved in late November to finance weapons procurement and joint development programmes with the US from 2026 to 2033.
"There is no time to waste," the Republican senator wrote.
Chinese authorities said the drills were conducted in response to a recently approved US arms sale worth USD 11.1 billion under the Trump administration, which includes M109A7 howitzers, HIMARS rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and drones, Focus Taiwan reported.
Other US lawmakers also voiced support for Taiwan.
Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said on X that "The United States stands with Taiwan and will continue to oppose coercion, aggression, and threats to regional stability."
Senator Tom Cotton praised the Trump administration's approach to maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and described Taiwan as a dependable US partner.
In Europe, German Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter of the Christian Democratic Union called on Berlin to condemn China's actions, back Taiwan and reconsider adherence to Beijing's one-China policy, according to Focus Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a coalition of lawmakers from democratic countries, said the drills marked a deliberate escalation of coercive pressure by the PLA and reflected a move away from restraint.
The group warned that China's growing reliance on military intimidation increases the risk of miscalculation, threatening stability in the Taiwan Strait as well as Indo-Pacific and global prosperity.
IPAC urged governments to move beyond statements and adopt a united deterrence framework aimed at raising the cost of aggression, strengthening preparedness and ensuring coordinated responses to escalation.
Concern was also expressed by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippines' representative office in Taiwan.
In a statement cited by Focus Taiwan, MECO said developments that heighten the risk of tension, miscalculation or conflict in the Taiwan Strait are "deeply worrying," particularly given their potential impact on regional stability, trade routes and the safety of Filipinos living and working in Taiwan.
"We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalatory actions, and keep communication channels open," the statement said. (ANI)