In a statement Thursday, the U.S. State Department urged China to exercise restraint in the Taiwan Strait, saying PLA wargames unnecessarily raised tensions in the region. On Friday, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry (MOFA) thanked the U.S. for its continued support, saying Taiwan will continue to work with all like-minded countries towards the goals of Indo-Pacific peace and stability, and international rules-based order.

Following China’s Justice Mission 2025 exercises around Taiwan Monday and Tuesday, U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott said Beijing should prioritize meaningful dialogue over staged wargames. Pigott said, “We urge Beijing to exercise restraint, cease its military pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue [....] the United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including by force or coercion."

The United States isn’t the only country to voice concern over the drills; Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and the E.U. also issued statements of concern, pushing for security in the Taiwan Strait.

MOFA said these statements demonstrate the clear international consensus that maintaining security in the Strait is of vital interest to all parties. They also note that the U.N. Charter explicitly prohibits use of force or threats, a ruling which also applies to the Taiwan Strait and its associated waters in the first island chain. To that end, MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) underscored that “Taiwan will continue to cooperate with all like-minded countries to jointly uphold rules-based international order and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world.”