Chinese military

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that 25 Chinese military aircraft, along with seven naval vessels and four official ships, were detected near Taiwan until 8 a.m. local time today. Out of these, 16 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan's southwestern and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

China deployed fighter jets and warships to encircle Taiwan on Monday, in drills Beijing said were aimed at sending a "stern warning" to "separatist" forces on the self-ruled island.

Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, and Monday's drills represent its fourth round of large-scale war games in the past two years.

The last of the nuclear-powered attack submarines built by China was sunk several months ago, a senior U.S. defense official said today, a development that potentially embarrasses Beijing, which is seeking to expand its military capabilities.

China said it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, firing it into the Pacific Ocean in its first such exercise in decades.

Beijing has stepped up its nuclear development and boosted defense spending in recent years, with the Pentagon last October warning China was developing its arsenal more quickly than the United States had anticipated.

A senior U.S. military official warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing's "dangerous" moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders.

Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan and China's increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions.

A senior Chinese military official warned the United States to stop "collusion" with Taiwan while top White House aide Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the tense Strait in a rare one-on-one meeting Thursday, both sides said.

China showcased on Thursday fighter jets firing missiles in the South China Sea, as it held rival military exercises with the United States in the hotly contested waters.

The drills follow tense standoffs between Beijing and Manila in disputed reefs that saw vessels from the two countries collide and Chinese ships blast water cannon at Philippine boats.

The top US and Chinese diplomats will hold their second meeting in as many months on Thursday in Jakarta, seeking to manage tensions that risk flaring anew over alleged Chinese hacking.

"Since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict did not bring the desired effect for the US, Washington must create a new war on the European continent," Chinese military expert Song Zhongping believes.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China, called for a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue, Reuters reported.

"Conflicts must be resolved peacefully," Baerbock said at a news conference in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Qing Gan.

She called on China to exert its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.