In a statement issued on April 6, 2025, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – along with the European Union’s High Representative – condemned China’s recent military drills around Taiwan, which they referred to as “provocative actions.”
The recent Chinese exercises, which mainly took place over the April 1-2 period, included the encirclement of Taiwan by Chinese naval and air assets, and are viewed by Western powers as part of a well-thought-out pattern of coercion against Taiwan, which firmly insists on self-governance.
During the exercises, long-range guns were fired with strikes on simulated targets such as seaports and energy infrastructure. The aircraft carrier Shandong was directly involved in the exercises. With operations such as this on display, it is hard to conclude that the exercises were solely for training purposes.
The intervention comes amid a period of heightened military activity in the Indo-Pacific, with a number of NATO members increasingly focused on regional security partnerships, and a steadily growing U.S. and NATO alignment with key partners such as Japan, South Korea, The Philippines, and Australia to deter further Chinese aggression.
G7 Statement
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on China’s Large-scale Military Drills around Taiwan
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, express deep concern about China’s provocative actions, particularly the recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan.
These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity.
G7 members and the larger international community have an interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion.
G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue.”
#China’s aggressive military activities threaten maritime safety & regional peace. Its brazen & irresponsible actions reveal it to be the true destabilizer in the region. #Taiwan🇹🇼 remains committed to protecting our waters & territorial sovereignty & safeguarding int’l order. https://t.co/3K1K3Vwai8
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) April 2, 2025
China responds defiantly
Commenting on the G7 reaction to the exercises, the Press Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Minister Counselor Liu Pengyu said, “The statement against China is a distortion of facts and truth and interference in China’s internal affairs. China condemns and opposes this.”
Liu Pengyu further explained, “This is a stern warning to the separatist forces advocating “Taiwan independence,” deliberately undermining peace in the Taiwan Strait, as well as a responsible step to protect national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
“As long as provocations in favor of “Taiwan independence” continue, we will continue to punish for “Taiwan independence.” We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and maximum efforts, but we will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any form. We will take all necessary measures to firmly protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Liu Pengyu concluded.
