Donald Trump has sought to play down a fresh round of Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, saying President Xi Jinping had not raised the issue with him and insisting he was unconcerned by the developments.

Speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on December 30, the US president said he had seen media reports about the drills but had received no direct communication from Beijing.

According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency Trump said “He hasn’t told me anything about it. I’ve certainly seen the information, but he hasn’t told me anything, and I don’t think he’s really going to do that. There’s absolutely nothing for me to worry about.”

The comments came after China’s People’s Liberation Army announced a new round of military exercises around Taiwan, including live-fire drills. The manoeuvres, known as Justice Mission-2025, began on December 28, and cover areas in and around the Taiwan Strait, as well as waters to the north, south-west, south-east and east of the island. Live-fire exercises are scheduled to take place on December 30 in five designated sea and air zones.

Asked whether the drills caused him concern, Mr Trump noted that China had long conducted military activity in the region. “China has been conducting naval exercises in that region for 20 years,” he said, adding that while perceptions may have shifted, “they’ve done them on a much larger scale in the past” CNA added.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said it had established a response centre and deployed appropriate forces in line with its regulations for handling contingencies during periods of routine combat readiness. CNA reports that the ministry also said it had launched immediate preparedness drills to monitor and respond to the situation.