Washington DC [US], April 2 (ANI): White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a press briefing, said on Tuesday that the US reiterates its stance of opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.

She made the remarks when was asked to respond to the Chinese military drills around Taiwan.

Leavitt said President Trump emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, adding that US encourages peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

Leavitt said, 'As a matter of fact, the National Security Council briefed me on this, this morning, and they said that the President is emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, encouraging the peaceful resolution of these cross-strait issues, reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. That is directly from the National Security'.

Her remarks come after China's military on Tuesday said it began joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan as a 'stern warning,' CNN reported.

In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence condemned China's drills, calling it irrational activity that undermined regional peace.

'We strongly condemn the PRC's irrational provocations. We firmly oppose PLA's actions that undermine regional peace. Standing guard at the forefront of freedom and democracy, remain steadfast in defending our territorial sovereignty,' Taiwan's MND said in a post on X.

The development comes days after US Defence Chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter 'China's aggression' on his first visit to Asia, as per CNN.

China's armed forces through the drills aim to 'close in' on Taiwan from 'multiple directions,' mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes to test joint operations capabilities of China's troops, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on social media.

'It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity,' the statement added.

The latest drills follow a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, including Taipei's detention in late February of a cargo ship crewed by Chinese nationals it was investigating for allegedly cutting an undersea internet cable in the second such incident in a period of months. (ANI)