By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - Germany warned on Wednesday that China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan are raising tensions and endangering stability in the Taiwan Strait.
“We are concerned about China's recent military exercises around Taiwan. The exercises increase tensions and undermine stability in the Taiwan Strait. Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and international security and prosperity,” an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement in Berlin.
“Any change to the status quo must be peaceful and mutually agreed upon. The German government calls for restraint and dialogue,” he added.
In recent months, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had repeatedly criticized China for threatening to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. He had also criticized Beijing for its increasingly aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Beijing launched the Justice Mission 2025 joint military drills on Monday, days after the US approved a one-time record sale of arms worth over $11 billion to Taipei.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday that the drills are "a punitive and deterrent response to Taiwan independence separatist forces who attempt to seek independence through military buildup."
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, for his part, said Beijing “has continued to escalate military tension in the region, which is not the behavior of a responsible world power," according to Focus Taiwan.
"Taiwan will not provoke a confrontation, nor seek conflict with China," he added.
China regards Taiwan as a "breakaway province," while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.