China-Taiwan tensions reach new heights as Beijing conducts largest military drills, responding to massive $11 billion U.S. arms package for Taipei.

China’s People’s Liberation Army says it has “successfully completed” two days of military exercises in the waters off Taiwan

China said it was merely responding to Taiwanese forces and taking the "necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of strategic importance for regional and global security and prosperity,' says EU Commission spokesperson - Anadolu Ajansı

The drills come amid Chinese anger at U.S. arms sales to the self-ruling island and a statement by Japan’s prime minister that its military could get involved if China were to move against it.

In 1978, the 21-day exercise, dubbed “Nifty Nugget,” brought two dozen military commands to bear to support a notional conflict in Europe.

China has launched new large-scale military exercises in the “middle areas” of the Taiwan Strait, signaling a sharp escalation in pressure on Taiwan. The move comes amid rising diplomatic tensions with the United States and Japan.