China carried out large-scale military drills near Taiwan after a U.S. Navy destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s defense ministry said. The exercise adds to already high tensions in the region, where Beijing has increased pressure on the self-ruled island through military activity and political warnings.

Taiwan has long viewed such drills as a threat to regional stability and to its own security. The government in Taipei has repeatedly urged Beijing to stop using force and coercion, saying the island’s future should be decided by its people, not by military intimidation.

The U.S. Navy transit took place in international waters and airspace, a routine passage that Washington has often described as consistent with freedom of navigation. China, however, frequently treats such movements as provocative, especially when they occur near Taiwan.

The latest drills underscore how quickly military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait can raise the risk of miscalculation. With neither side showing signs of backing down, the region remains a flashpoint with global economic and security implications.