The commander of the Seventh Fleet calls on China to stop its threats against Taiwan

Speaking to reporters from Singapore, Karl Thomas, commander of United States Seventh Fleet, said China's decision to fire missiles toward Taiwan needs to be contested and labelled "irresponsible."

The official accused the communist regime in Beijing of behaving like "a gorilla in a room" and added: "If we don't answer, it will become routine. It is irresponsible to launch missiles over Taiwan in international waters, where there is freedom of navigation and maritime routes operate."

China conducted major air and sea drills this month around Taiwan in a reaction to the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation to the island.

The Seventh Fleet is based in Japan and is one of the U.S. naval strongholds in the Pacific.