The US State Department said it was “deeply concerned” about Chinese military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. They urged the government in Beijing to exercise restraint, Reuters reported.

Over the past two days, China has conducted a major military exercise in the waters surrounding Taiwan. The goal was to test the ability to “seize power” and control the central areas of the island, which the People's Republic considers part of its territory.

The United States has been a close ally of Taiwan since the end of the Chinese Civil War, when the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang Party – which previously held power on the mainland – settled on the island, following its loss to the Communists.