Trump downplays threat from Chinese military drills near Taiwan

China on Monday kicked off moves that it said included live-fire drills in a dramatic show of force after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy in Taipei.

President Donald Trump downplayed China’s latest maneuvers around the island of Taiwan, casting them as a continuation of longstanding military exercises.

China on Monday kicked off moves that it said included live-fire drills in a dramatic show of force after the US announced one of its biggest arms packages ever for the self-run democracy in Taipei.

Asked about the Chinese actions around the island, Trump instead touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and cast the latest activity as routine.

“I have a great relationship with President Xi and he hasn’t told me anything about it,” Trump told reporters in a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I certainly have seen it, but he hasn’t told me anything about it. And I don’t believe he’s going to be doing it,” Trump said without elaborating.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must ultimately be brought under its control, by force if necessary — a position Taipei firmly rejects. Since President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024, Beijing has stepped up military pressure on the self-governing island of 23 million people.

“They’ve been doing naval exercises for 20 years in that area,” Trump said.

Trump has touted a great relationship with Xi, with whom he reached a trade detente in October after a series of tit-for-tat tariffs shook global markets. Both leaders have discussed an April visit by the US president to China, even as the world’s two biggest economies continue to spar over export and regulatory restrictions.