Chinese military

China showcased on Thursday fighter jets firing missiles in the South China Sea, as it held rival military exercises with the United States in the hotly contested waters.

The drills follow tense standoffs between Beijing and Manila in disputed reefs that saw vessels from the two countries collide and Chinese ships blast water cannon at Philippine boats.

The top US and Chinese diplomats will hold their second meeting in as many months on Thursday in Jakarta, seeking to manage tensions that risk flaring anew over alleged Chinese hacking.

"Since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict did not bring the desired effect for the US, Washington must create a new war on the European continent," Chinese military expert Song Zhongping believes.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China, called for a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue, Reuters reported.

"Conflicts must be resolved peacefully," Baerbock said at a news conference in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Qing Gan.

She called on China to exert its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

In return, he brought with him a handful of orders for French industry, writes Alexander Gerlach.

China simulated a "secession" of Taiwan on today's third day of military exercises around the island, and the US, in a show of force, deployed a warship in waters claimed by China, AFP reported.

China launched the drills in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US.

China simulated "sealing off" Taiwan during a third day of wargames around the self-ruled island on Monday, as the United States deployed a naval destroyer into Beijing-claimed waters in a show of force.

China's military said it had launched a three-day exercise with 42 warplanes and 8 ships around Taiwan, which it described as a "serious warning" to Taiwanese separatists who are "in cahoots with outside forces".

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Wednesday, a stop on her way to firm up ties with Guatemala and Belize after China snapped up another of the self-ruled island's few diplomatic allies last week.

The Chinese military said it had tracked a US warship in the South China Sea on Thursday and "warned it to leave" waters claimed by Beijing.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually -- despite an international court ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.