China military drills targeting Taiwan put region’s security at risk, says US

An image of the Shandong aircraft carrier, released by China on Tuesday. The US has criticised China over its military drills around Taiwan, accusing it of ‘intimidation tactics and destabilising behaviour’. Photograph: Eastern Theatre Command/Reuters

The US has accused China of putting the region’s security at risk after it launched a second day of military drills targeting Taiwan with a rehearsal blockade and attack.

The China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began the joint drills without notice on Tuesday morning, sending 76 aircraft and more than 20 navy and coastguard ships, including the Shandong carrier group, to positions around Taiwan’s main island.