TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The foreign ministers of G7 member nations issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning China’s recent military drills near Taiwan.

Beijing launched joint army, navy, and rocket force exercises on Tuesday, focusing on combat-readiness patrols and strikes on maritime and land targets. China's Eastern Theater Command Senior Spokesperson Shi Yi (施毅) said the exercises “serve as a stern warning and forceful deterrent against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

The G7 foreign ministers expressed “deep concern” about the drills. “These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity,” they said.

The ministers said there is a global interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed “any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion.” They also called for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues through dialogue.

Many G7 members, including the US and EU nations, also released separate statements criticizing last week’s Chinese military exercises.