CHINA has said that its recent military exercises around Taiwan were meant as a serious warning to the United States over its relations with the island as tensions continue to escalate. 

The comments were made after China and Russia carried out their first joint exercises in the region since the invasion of Ukraine. 

A strategic aerial patrol with nuclear capable bombers belonging to both countries took place over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and the Western Pacific on Tuesday during US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region. 

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi condemned the military exercise as provocative and unacceptable.

But the Chinese military said the military operations were not targeted at a third party, coming a day after Mr Biden said the US was prepared to defend Taiwan militarily in what appeared to be a break from Washington’s policy of “strategic ambiguity.”

The White House has once again sought to downplay Mr Biden’s comments which the Daily Telegraph warned could trigger World War III, branding his statement “a big mistake.”

Relations between the US and China have deteriorated in recent years with clashes over Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. 

Washington has mobilised warships to the disputed waters while China has flown fighter jets close to Taiwan where the US has allegedly had elite soldiers deployed on clandestine operations since at least 2020. 

Japan is hosting the leaders of the so-called Quad, an anti-China grouping of countries led by the US and also including Australia and India. 

Aimed at containing what they call Chinese aggression, warships and planes from the Quad carried out military exercises in the Indian Ocean last November in the biggest show of strength so far.