CHINA warned today against continued co-operation between the United States and Taiwan, responding to reports that Washington was sending officers to help train Taiwanese forces.

Defence contractors are also reportedly set to visit the breakaway province next week.

This comes amidst the largest ever military exercises by the US and the Philippines in the South China Sea. 

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said: “We resolutely oppose the US having any form of official or military contact with China’s Taiwan region.”

Taiwanese media reported this month that the US had sent 200 military personnel, mostly marines, to help train Taiwanese troops. 

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry has neither denied nor confirmed the report.

Meanwhile, a delegation of 25 defence contractors are reportedly due to visit the island next week, hosted by the US-Taiwan Business Council. 

Nikkei Asia reported that the weapons manufacturers will discuss joint production of drones and ammunition in Taiwan.

“US defence contractors intentionally provoke confrontation between the two sides, taking the opportunity to make a profit,” Ms Zhu said. 

She accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has been in power for six years, of colluding with the US to press for the island’s formal independence.

The US doesn’t formally recognise the government of Taiwan, but is Taipei’s biggest weapons supplier.

Meanwhile, US and Filipino forces pummelled a ship with a barrage of air strikes and artillery fire in their largest ever war drills today in the South China Sea.

These are the largest war games by the allies since the annual joint exercises called Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder,” started three decades ago.

“This training increased the exercise’s realism and complexity, a key priority shared between the armed forces of the Philippines and the US military,” Lieutenant General William Jurney, commander of US Marine Corps Forces in the Pacific, said.

“Together we are strengthening our capabilities in full-spectrum military operations across all domains,” said Lieutenant General Jurney, the US director for Balikatan.

China has warned that a deepening security alliance between Washington and Manila and their ongoing military drills should not harm its security and territorial interests or interfere in territorial disputes.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that such military co-operation “should not target any third party and should be conducive to regional peace and stability.”