China Faces International Backlash After War Games Encircling Taiwan

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Jan 1, 2026 - 10:59 Updated: Jan 1, 2026 - 10:53
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China Faces International Backlash After War Games Encircling Taiwan

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China’s two days of military drills encircling Taiwan sparked international backlash as Taiwan’s armed forces remained on high alert on Dec. 31, a day after the Chinese military fired 27 rockets into waters north and south of the island.

The European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines have all expressed concerns about the large-scale military drills.
“Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity,” the European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic arm, said in a statement on Dec. 30.

“The EU has a direct interest in the preservation of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral actions that change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion.”

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a global group of hundreds of lawmakers who coordinate their efforts to confront challenges posed by Beijing, issued a statement condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), saying the drills “represent a deliberate escalation of coercive pressure against Taiwan and a dangerous step away from restraint.”

“Such actions are not routine,” the alliance added. “They signal a trajectory by the Chinese Communist Party that increasingly points toward the normalization of military intimidation and the preparation for conflict.”

IPAC said governments must do more than issue statements on China’s actions, calling for a shared deterrence plan, stronger collective preparedness, and a clear warning that any further escalation would prompt a “coordinated and resolute response.”

China’s Eastern Theater Command began the drills on Monday, deploying destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, unmanned aerial vehicles, amphibious assault ships, and other weapons for exercises, including port seizure.

The command announcement on late Wednesday afternoon that the drills had ended, adding that it would continue to strengthen its capabilities targeting “separatists” in Taiwan and “external intervention.”

On Wednesday morning, Taiwan’s Military News Agency reported that the Taiwanese military remained on “high alert,” ready to respond to “any sudden situation.”

Taiwan’s military spotted a total of 207 sorties of Chinese military aircraft, along with naval vessels and ships, from 6 a.m. local time on Monday to 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry.

Also on Wednesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration announced it had detected 14 China Coast Guard vessels since Monday morning, according to a press release.

“Vessel traffic at Taiwan’s ports has not been affected. Claims by Chinese state media that four of Taiwan’s ports have been blocked are disinformation intended to mislead the public,” Coast Guard Administration said, according to a translation.

In China, at a daily briefing on Wednesday, Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese regime’s foreign ministry, slammed the countries that had voiced concerns about its drills, accusing their remarks of being “irresponsible” and “extremely hypocritical” since Taiwan is “an inalienable part of China’s territory,” according to a translation.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry has issued several statements thanking countries for their support.

In one statement, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said that remarks from the EU, the UK, Germany, and France “show that Europe staunchly supports the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability.”
Two IPAC members, Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the chair and ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, respectively, issued a joint statement criticizing the CCP for its “deliberate escalation.”

“These drills are intended to intimidate Taiwan and other democracies in the region and to undermine peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific,” the lawmakers wrote. “By rehearsing coercive military scenarios and projecting force beyond its borders, the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to reshape the regional order through aggression and intimidation.

“The United States stands with Taiwan and fellow democracies and will continue to work with partners to preserve Taiwan’s security and uphold a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific.”

U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.), who also serves on the House select committee, denounced China’s military actions against Taiwan.

“The brutal Communist dictatorship in #Beijing continues to break international norms & threaten our dear friend & ally #Taiwan,” Giménez wrote, according to his X post on Dec. 30.
“As a Member of the Select Committee on #China, I reaffirm America’s commitment to Taiwan’s democracy & condemn the CCP’s pathetic tactics!”
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