For all the latest coverage of the Taiwan crisis please read our most recent live blog in the link below.
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Summary
Thank you for joining us for today’s live coverage.
We will be launching a new blog shortly. In the meantime, you can read our comprehensive summary of the day’s events below.
- China is to begin its second day of unprecedented live-fire drills after launching huge military exercises in the air and seas around Taiwan on Thursday, including firing ballistic missiles close to the island some of which landed in Japanese waters.
- The exercises, which included rockets, attack helicopters and gunships, were arranged in reaction to a defiant visit to the island by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Wednesday.
- The US condemned the missile launches. “China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
- Kirby also warned of the risk of a mistake and calculation of the drills, saying, “One of the things that’s troublesome about exercises like this or missile launches like this is the risk of calculation, the risk of a mistake that could actually lead to some sort of conflict.”
- US secretary of state Antony Blinken said he “hopes very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretence to increase its aggressive military action”.
- Foreign ministers from the 10-member Asean bloc, meeting in Cambodia this week, called for “maximum restraint”, without mentioning the US or China by name. In a statement it said the situation could lead to “serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”.
- Japan said at least five of the 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles fell into its exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370km) from Japan’s coast.
- Japan also speculated that four missiles flew over Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city, according to a statement issued by its US embassy.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry said the missiles flew high into the atmosphere and constituted no threat to the island.
- Taiwan’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, urged Beijing to “act with reason and exercise restraint” while maintaining Taiwan would not escalate conflict but would “resolutely defend our sovereignty, our security & our democracy”.
- Foreign governments and multilateral groups including the G7 and the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) condemned the hostilities and called for calm.
- The drills were in unprecedented proximity to Taiwan, and included PLA warplane and navy vessel incursions over the median line of the Taiwan strait – an unofficial border between China and Taiwan.
- Notices of the exercises identified six areas encircling Taiwan, with warnings for all ships and aircraft to “not enter the relevant sea areas and airspace”. On Thursday, local media reported the last-minute announcement of a seventh. Some of the zones overlap with Taiwan’s territorial waters, and are near key shipping ports.
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Several cyber-attacks also struck Taiwan, targeting websites of the defence ministry, the foreign ministry and the presidential office.
- Beijing’s Taiwan affairs office said the dispute was an internal affair. “Our punishment of pro-Taiwan independence diehards, external forces, is reasonable, lawful,” it said.
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Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has called on Beijing to “act with reason and exercise restraint”.
With China initiating military exercises in areas around Taiwan today, we call on Beijing to act with reason and exercise restraint.
Taiwan will not escalate conflict, but we will resolutely defend our sovereignty, our security & our democracy.”
With China initiating military exercises in areas around Taiwan today, we call on Beijing to act with reason & exercise restraint. Taiwan will not escalate conflict, but we will resolutely defend our sovereignty, our security & our democracy.https://t.co/CXNli5bTWG
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 4, 2022
Chinese missiles posed no threat: Taiwan MoD
Taiwan’s defence ministry said missiles fired by China on Thursday flew high into the atmosphere and constituted no threat to it, responding to public concern about whether they passed over the main island of Taiwan.
The ministry said in a statement it would not disclose the Chinese missile flight path due to intelligence concerns.
Earlier, it said 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles had been fired in waters around the island.
Taiwan also scrambled jets on Thursday to warn away 22 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, the Taiwanese defence ministry said.
All 22 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, a ministry statement said.
The last time China fired missiles into waters around Taiwan was in 1996.
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China's top diplomat walks out of foreign ministers dinner - reports
The Chinese government’s top diplomat Wang Yi walked out before the start of a gala dinner of foreign ministers at a meeting in Cambodia on Thursday and was seen leaving the venue in a vehicle, witnesses said.
Wang Yi waved to media as he entered a holding room for the dinner then walked out of the venue, without giving a reason, according to Reuters journalists.
Two witnesses working at the venue told Reuters Wang Yi was seen leaving in a vehicle.
The dinner was attended by more than a dozen foreign ministers including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi, and senior diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has also called for an “immediate stop” to China’s military exercises.
“China’s actions this time have a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and the international community. I once again demand the immediate stop of these military exercises,” Hayashi told reporters.
His comments came after the Japanese defence minister said five Chinese ballistic missiles fired during the exercises were “believed to have landed within Japan’s (exclusive economic zone)“.
Australian foreign minister Penny Wong has called for de-escalation in the Taiwan Strait and warned against the risk of miscalculation.
“All parties should consider how they can contribute to de-escalating current tensions,” Wong told Agence France Presse.
“One of the risks the region is concerned about is the risk of miscalculation.”
Wong will join the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) on Friday, a 27-member body set up to discuss security issues.
Summary
It’s just past 6am in Taipei. Here’s where things stand:
- The US said on Thursday that China’s launch of ballistic missiles around Taiwan was an overreaction to the visit of US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island. “China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
- China has called the US “the biggest saboteur of peace”, as its foreign ministry spokesperson slammed the US and US House speaker Nancy Pelosi for her recent visit to Taiwan. “Pelosi’s stunt is another bankruptcy of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves the US to be the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability,” Hua Chunying said.
- South Korea has temporarily cancelled its flights to Taiwan as a result of the ongoing military drills conducted by China. According to local Korean media, Korean Air cancelled flights between Incheon and Taiwan on Friday and Saturday. The airline also delayed the schedule of Sunday’s flights by an hour. Similarly, Asiana shifted Thursday’s flight up by three hours and cancelled Friday’s flight to Taiwan.
- US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Thursday he “hopes very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretense to increase its aggressive military action.” Addressing the Asean-US summit, Blinken said “many countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one’s interests, including Asean members and including China.”
- The Biden administration postponed a routine test launch of an air force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing amid China’s show of force near Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. US officials did not say how long the delay might last, but one said it might last 10 days, the report added.
- The US has been watching the Chinese military exercises near Japan “very very closely,” said John Kirby, the US’s national security council coordinator for strategic communications. In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Kirby said: “We’ve been watching this very, very closely. It’s concerning. It’s not just concerning to us, but it’s concerning, of course, to the people of Taiwan. It’s concerning to to our allies in the region, especially Japan.”
- Taiwan’s defence ministry said its troops fired flares late on Thursday to deter four drones that flew above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, Reuters reports.
- China has sent 22 fighter jets across the “median line” running down the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, according to Taipei’s defence ministry. The Ministry of National Defense said “air defense missile systems” were deployed to track the jets and radio warnings were broadcast, according to an update on its website.
- US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Korea’s national assembly speaker Kim Jin-pyo vowed on Thursday to support deterrence against North Korea and achieve its denuclearisation. “Both sides expressed concerns about the dire situation of North Korea’s growing threat,” they said in a joint statement after meeting in Seoul.
That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as I hand the blog over to my colleagues in Australia who will bring you the latest developments. Thank you.
Updated
The US said on Thursday that China’s launch of ballistic missiles around Taiwan was an overreaction to the visit of US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island.
“China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, Reuters reports.
Kirby called China’s actions part of a “manufactured crisis” and added that Beijing was attempting to alter the regional power balance.
“It’s also a pretext to try to up the ante ... and to actually try to set a new status quo, to get to a new normal where they think they can keep things at,” Kirby said.
“And my point coming out here today was making clear that we’re not going to accept a new status quo.
“The temperature’s pretty high,” Kirby said.
Tensions “can come down very easily by just having the Chinese stop these very aggressive military drills and flying missiles in and around the Taiwan Strait”, he said.
Kirby confirmed earlier reports that the Pentagon had delayed a scheduled test launch of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile to avoid stoking tensions.
“We do not believe it is in our interests, Taiwan’s interests, the region’s interests, to allow tensions to escalate further,” Kirby said.
“As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is demonstrating instead the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation.”
But he said the US navy’s USS Ronald Reagan carrier taskforce would remain in the area. According to a Chinese military-backed research group, South China Sea Probing Initiative, the Reagan was about 600 miles (1,000km) due east of Taiwan on Wednesday.
Kirby said the carrier group has been ordered by the Pentagon to “remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation.”
“We will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific consistent with international law, as we have for decades, supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he added.
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China has called the US “the biggest saboteur of peace”, as its foreign ministry spokesperson slammed the US and US House speaker Nancy Pelosi for her recent visit to Taiwan.
On Thursday, Hua Chunying fired off a series of tweets condemning the US and warning of Chinese retaliation.
“Pelosi’s stunt is another bankruptcy of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves the US to be the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability,” she said.
#Pelosi’s stunt is another bankruptcy of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves the US to be the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 4, 2022
“This incident is single-handedly orchestrated and provoked by the US and the cause, consequences and merits of the incident are crystal clear. China has done everything that is diplomatically possible to prevent this crisis which has been imposed on China,” she added.
Chunying warned that China will not “tolerate any act that harms our core interests” and that it will not “sit by and watch the US play the ‘Taiwan card’ to serve the US’s domestic politics and selfish interests of some politicians”.
Describing the recent flurry of military drills China has conducted in recent days, Chunying said that they were “necessary countermeasures that are defensive in nature which have gone through serious consideration and careful assessment”.
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South Korea has temporarily cancelled its flights to Taiwan as a result of the ongoing military drills conducted by China.
According to local Korean media, Korean Air cancelled flights between Incheon and Taiwan on Friday and Saturday. The airline also delayed the schedule of Sunday’s flights by an hour.
Similarly, Asiana shifted Thursday’s flight up by three hours and cancelled Friday’s flight to Taiwan.
Singaporean carriers have also been avoiding areas that are impacted by China’s military drills and live firing exercises, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on Thursday.
CAAS said that China released a notice to airmen on Tuesday that banned aircraft from flying into certain areas that are affected by the live firing exercises between Thursday and Sunday.
“Singapore carriers have taken note of the (notice) as part of their standard operating procedures and are avoiding the affected areas,” CAAS said.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Thursday he “hopes very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretense to increase its aggressive military action.”
Addressing the ASEAN-US summit, Blinken said “many countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one’s interests, including ASEAN members and including China.”
“We’ve reached out to engage our PRC counterparts in recent days at every level of government to convey this message … Maintaining cross-stability is the interest all countries in the region, including all of our colleagues within ASEAN,” he said.
He added: “The US continues to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan strait. We oppose any unilateral efforts to change the status quo, especially by force.”
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Biden postpones routine missile test launch, reports say
The Biden administration postponed a routine test launch of an air force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing amid China’s show of force near Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
US officials did not say how long the delay might last, but one said it might last 10 days, the report added.
The air force had planned on conducting the test launch from the Vandenberg base in California.
The test is usually conducted a few times a year to test the ICBM’s reliability.
“This is a long-planned test but it is being postponed to remove any misunderstandings given the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] actions around Taiwan,” a defense official told Wall Street Journal.
In March, the Pentagon cancelled a flight test of a Minuteman III missile to avoid heightening tensions with Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
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US watching China military drills 'very closely'
The US has been watching the Chinese military exercises near Japan “very very closely,” said John Kirby, the US’s National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications.
In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Kirby said: “We’ve been watching this very, very closely. It’s concerning. It’s not just concerning to us, but it’s concerning, of course, to the people of Taiwan. It’s concerning to to our allies in the region, especially Japan.”
In recent days, China has been conducting its largest-ever military drills near Taiwan following a controversial visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruled territory.
When asked whether Pelosi’s trip triggered China’s military drills, Kirby said, “The provocateur here is Beijing. They didn’t have to react this way to what is completely normal travel by congressional members to Taiwan...The Chinese are the ones who are escalating this.”
He also warned the risk of calculation of the drills, saying, “One of the things that’s troublesome about exercises like this or missile launches like this is the risk of calculation, the risk of a mistake that could actually lead to some sort of conflict.”
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said its troops fired flares late on Thursday to deter four drones that flew above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, Reuters reports.
Taiwan has been on alert as China conducts a series of military exercises in response to a visit to the island this week by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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China has sent 22 fighter jets across the “median line” running down the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, according to Taipei’s defence ministry.
The Ministry of National Defense said “air defense missile systems” were deployed to track the jets and radio warnings were broadcast, according to an update on its website.
The median line is an unofficial but largely adhered to border that runs down the middle of the Taiwan Strait, separating China and Taiwan. It is rare for military jets to cross it.
Over the last two years, Beijing has increased its military incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).
The ADIZ is not the same as Taiwan’s territorial airspace but includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China’s own air defence identification zone and even includes some of the mainland.
The vast majority of China’s ADIZ flights occur off the southwestern edge of Taiwan. However, in recent days, there has been a significant increase in the number of median line incursions after Beijing announced massive military drills to protest US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island territory this week.
Of the 49 incursions Taiwan reported on Wednesday and Thursday, 44 involved Chinese aircraft crossing the median line.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo vowed on Thursday to support deterrence against North Korea and achieve its denuclearisation.
“Both sides expressed concerns about the dire situation of North Korea’s growing threat,” they said in a joint statement after meeting in Seoul.
“We agreed to support the efforts of the two governments to achieve practical denuclearisation and peace through international cooperation and diplomatic dialogue, based on the strong and extended deterrence against the North.”
Pelosi added that she and Kim talked about ways to boost cooperation on regional security and economic and climate issues.
Pelosi arrived in South Korea on Wednesday night after her stop in self-ruled Taiwan which infuriated China.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol did not meet Pelosi due to his scheduled vacation this week. Nevertheless, he held a 40-minute phone call with her where he promised close cooperation with the US Congress, Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said.
South Korean media speculated that Yoon could be shunning meeting Pelosi in person to avoid antagonising China, after her visit to Taiwan outraged Beijing, which claims the self-governed island as its own.
Summary of the day so far …
- Taiwan’s military has said it is “preparing for war without seeking war” after China’s military began an unprecedented four days of live-fire exercises close to Taiwan’s shores, in reaction to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had launched 11 Dongfeng series ballistic missiles into the waters north-east and south-west of Taiwan’s main island. Taiwan activated its defences as soon as the first missile was detected at 13.56 local time.
- Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” Beijing for “following the example of North Korea in willfully test-firing missiles into waters near other countries”. Taipei also called on the international community to “condemn China’s military coercion”.
- The People’s Liberation Army’s eastern theatre command announced it had conducted “long-range live-fire shooting training” in the Taiwan strait, including “precision strikes on specific areas in the eastern part”. It said “expected results had been achieved” but did not clarify what that meant.
- A Taiwanese official said about ten Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line – the informal line dividing Chinese and Taiwanese territorial waters – before they were “driven away” by Taiwanese navy boats. “They sneaked in, and were driven away by us,” they said.
- Taiwan also said multiple Chinese air force planes briefly crossed the median line several times on Thursday morning, forcing Taiwan to scramble jets and deploy missile systems to track their movement.
- Japan’s defence ministry said five missiles launched by China during the drills had fallen into its exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles - or 370km -from Japan’s coast. Tokyo has protested to Beijing.
- Video footage purporting to show the launch of several missiles was shown on Chinese state television. The footage has not been independently verified.
- Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, has said on social media that “China’s irresponsible and dangerous behaviour has jeopardised regional peace. Taiwan will resolutely defend ourselves.”
- The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on a visit to Cambodia, said the US opposes any unilateral efforts to change the Taiwan status quo, especially by force, and its policy on Taiwan has not changed
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said China had the sovereign right to hold major military drills around Taiwan, and accused the US of artificially fuelling tensions in the region, calling Pelosi’s visit “an unnecessary provocation.”
- The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, earlier described US house speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as a “complete farce” at meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Cambodia. “The irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland cannot be changed. Those who offend China will surely be punished,” he said.
- The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said China had no reason to overreact after Pelosi visited, saying “The US and other Nato allies have paid visits with high-ranking officials to Taiwan regularly over the years, and therefore this is no reason for China to overreact.”
- Notices of the exercises identified six areas encircling Taiwan, with warnings for all ships and aircraft to “not enter the relevant sea areas and airspace”. Some of the zones overlap with Taiwan’s territorial waters, and are near key shipping ports.
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Nato's Stoltenberg: Pelosi visit 'no reason for China to overreact'
The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said that China has no reason to overreact after US politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Reuters quotes his saying:
The visit of Nancy Pelosi is no reason for China to overreact or threaten Taiwan or to use threatening rhetoric. The US and other Nato allies have paid visits with high-ranking officials to Taiwan regularly over the years, and therefore this is no reason for China to overreact
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Tokyo protests to China after it says five missiles fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone
Japan’s defence ministry said five missiles launched by China during its drills near Taiwan had fallen into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles – or 370km – from Japan’s coast. Tokyo has protested to Beijing.
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Taiwan’s defence ministry confirmed that 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles had been fired in waters around the island today.
The last time that happened was in 1996. Taiwan officials said the drills violated UN rules, invaded its space and threatened free air and sea navigation.
In response to Taiwan’s protests against the military drills, Reuters reports that China’s Beijing-based Taiwan Affairs Office said: “Our punishment of pro-Taiwan independence diehards, external forces, is reasonable, lawful.”
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Here are a couple of images sent to us from Beijing today, where people have been going about their day-to-day business while footage of China’s military exercises in the Taiwan Straits plays on TV screens around them.
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Taiwan representative to US: China's 'irresponsible and dangerous behaviour has jeopardised regional peace'
Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, has said on social media that “China’s irresponsible and dangerous behaviour has jeopardised regional peace. Taiwan will resolutely defend ourselves.”
China’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior has jeopardized regional peace. Taiwan will resolutely defend ourselves. https://t.co/SuZzxQtUXh
— Bi-khim Hsiao 蕭美琴 (@bikhim) August 4, 2022
She shared a post from Taiwan’s ministry of defence in which it confirmed that its defence systems had been activated once it had detected the firing of the first Chinese missiles at 1.56pm local time. China launched several Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters around the north-east and south-west coasts of Taiwan early today.
The US and Taiwan don’t officially have diplomatic relations, but Hsiao Bi-khim acts as Taiwan’s representative.
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Here are some still images of Chinese missile launches that have been shown on China’s CCTV state television today, which purport to be the missiles fired in Taiwan’s direction. The images have not been independently verified.
Daily life continues in Taiwan, even with the increased political tension.
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Here is the full text of the statement issued by Taiwan’s foreign ministry today:
On 4 August, China launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters to the northeast and southwest of Taiwan, threatening Taiwan’s national security, escalating regional tensions, and affecting regular international traffic and trade.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly condemns the Chinese government for following the example of North Korea in wilfully test-firing missiles into waters near other countries, and demands that China exercise self-restraint.
MOFA urges the international community to condemn China’s military coercion towards Taiwan. The ministry also calls on countries around the globe to continue to speak up in support of democratic Taiwan in order to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, to maintain the rules-based international order, and to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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The Associated Press has spoken to a couple of residents of Taiwan about the Chinese military drills.
“Everyone should want money, not bullets,” joked one, referring to recent troubles in the economy. 63-year-old Lu Chuan-hsiong had been out enjoying his morning swim. He said he was not worried. “Because Taiwanese and Chinese, we’re all one family. There’s a lot of mainlanders here, too,” he said.
Those who have to work on the ocean were more concerned. Chou Ting-tai, who owns a fishing vessel, said “It’s very close. This will definitely impact us, but if they want to do this, what can we do?”
The video team at the Guardian have compiled some of the clips that purport to show China firing missiles into waters off Taiwan.
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Kremlin calls Pelosi's visit to Taiwan 'an unnecessary provocation'
Russia has backed China’s right to carry out military exercises.
Reuters reports a Kremlin spokesperson said China had the sovereign right to hold major military drills around Taiwan, and accused the US of artificially fuelling tensions in the region.
“The tension in the region and around Taiwan was provoked by the visit of Nancy Pelosi,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. “It was an absolutely unnecessary visit and an unnecessary provocation.”
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Blinken: US opposes unilateral efforts to change Taiwan status quo
The US opposes any unilateral efforts to change the Taiwan status quo, especially by force, and its policy on Taiwan has not changed, secretary of state Antony Blinken has told his south-east Asian counterparts.
Cross-straits stability was in the interests of the whole region, Reuters reports that Blinken told a meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Taiwan says China 'imitated' North Korea with missile launches into the sea
Taiwan’s foreign ministry has said China “imitated” North Korea by firing missiles into waters near the island earlier in the day and called for self-restraint amid high tensions with Beijing.
It said it strongly condemned the actions, and called on the international community to jointly condemn China’s military threat. It urged other countries to continue to support democratic Taiwan, and to continue to hold up the international rule of law.
In addition, Reuters reports Taiwan now says that the Chinese missile launches came in waves lasting from 1356 to 1600 local time. It is now just gone 6pm in Taiwan.
Updated
Over at CNN, Brad Lendon has asked the question “does Taiwan have its own airspace?” and the answer is somewhat more complicated than you might imagine. De facto it does, but legally it is less clear. Lendon writes:
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), a country’s territorial boundaries extend 12 nautical miles (22.2km) from its coastline. The area above is considered the country’s territorial airspace. China is a signatory to Unclos, signing on 10 December, 1982, and ratifying it in 1996. Taiwan is not.
Most countries in the world do not recognise Taiwan as an independent country. However, Drew Thompson, visiting senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a former US Defense Department official, said most of the world treated Taiwan as if it were an independent country – and for that reason, it should be considered as having its own airspace.
“Under that principle, then perhaps we decide that international law applies, in which case Taiwan’s airspace extends to 12 miles beyond its baseline. Beyond the 12-mile limit is international waters, international airspace,” he added.
Thompson said there was also a matter of precedent and that even China’s military appeared to tacitly recognise this.
Despite the “fact that the PLA doesn’t recognise Taiwan, they’ve respected Taiwan’s airspace,” he said. Chinese commercial aviation companies also respected Taiwan’s airspace, Thompson said, recognising a “convention that effectively treats Taiwan as independent under civil aviation guidelines.”
The Global Times, which is a Chinese state media outlet, has published this video, which purports to show China launching missiles earlier today aimed at the waters around Taiwan. The video has not been independently verified.
WATCH: PLA Eastern Theater Command Rocket Force launched conventional missiles to designated waters in the east of the island of Taiwan on Thu pic.twitter.com/WpFURLeN8X
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 4, 2022
Earlier Agence France-Presse distributed this video, which it said are projectiles firing upwards in the Taiwan strait.
VIDEO: Projectiles are seen firing upwards in the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing's military announces "long-range live ammunition firing" in the area.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 4, 2022
The drills are China's largest ever encircling Taiwan pic.twitter.com/yzRMo0A3KW
Updated
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the government body that manages Taiwan’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China, has issued a response to todays events.
Reuters reports it said that the Chinese drills will not change the fact that the two sides don’t belong to each other, that it will be on high alert for infiltration and psychological warfare, and that using force will not solve problems and disagreements. It said it hoped both sides would see that peace and stability are beneficial to all people.
In a statement yesterday, it had said:
It is an objective truth that the two sides across the Taiwan strait are not subordinate to each other; no amount of maximum pressure from the Beijing authorities can change this. Our government remains consistent in our policy to maintain peace across the Taiwan strait: we firmly safeguard our national sovereignty and will never condone any “military invasion.” The Chinese Communist party’s illegitimate and unjustifiable actions have undermined the status quo of the Taiwan strait, put people’s lives and assets at stake, and severely breached the rules-based international order.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images that have been sent to us from Taiwan. Taiwan’s military is on high alert, but spectators also appear to have gathered to watch the exercises being carried out by China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Updated
Newspapers in Taiwan have understandably put Nancy Pelosi’s visit front and centre on their front pages today.
Reuters reports that China’s eastern theatre command has said it has completed multiple firings of conventional missiles on waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan today as part of planned exercises.
The relevant sea and airspace controls had been lifted after the firing was completed, a spokesperson at the eastern theatre command said in a statement.
Updated
We earlier reported on claims of 900 rerouted flights because of the drills. Taiwan’s transportation department has clarified in local media that some of the identified zones for PLA activity – with the strong advice that air and sea craft steer clear – have impacted 18 international routes in and out of Taiwan. The department estimated this would affect about 900 flights over the three days that the drills are scheduled.
Vietnamese media reported that up to 36 Vietnam Airlines flights and 82 VietJet flights have had to adjust their routes to northeast Asia and north America to avoid the drills.
Agence France-Presse is carrying this image which shows plumes of smoke going up into the sky, which its journalists witnessed.
#UPDATE The Chinese army launched projectiles into the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, @AFP journalists saw, as Beijing's military announced "long-range live ammunition firing" in the area.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 4, 2022
Several projectiles blasted into the sky followed by plumes of smoke and booming sounds pic.twitter.com/4EDdQpJown
Taiwan’s defence ministry confirms Chinese missiles fired near Matsu
Taiwan’s defence ministry appears to have confirmed those reports of missiles fired near Matsu. In a statement a short time ago it said the PLA had launched a number of Dongfeng series missiles into the waters northeast and southwest of Taiwan’s main island.
Earlier the PLA announced it had conducted long range “precision strikes” into the Taiwan Strait at 1pm, and civilian videos purportedly of projectiles launching from behind an otherwise picturesque Chinese beach in Pingtan spread across social media. The Guardian has not independently verified the footage.
Updated
We reported earlier that China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) group.
Reuters reports that, in another sign of rising tensions, China’s foreign ministry has confirmed that Wang has cancelled a planned bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Updated
Two missiles were launched by China near Taiwan’s Matsu islands, which lie off the coast of China, at about 2pm local time.
They were seen headed in the direction of the #2 and #3 drill zones previously announced by China, according to an internal Taiwan security report that has been seen by Reuters and confirmed by a security source.
Updated
Summary of what we know so far …
- Taiwan’s military has said it is “preparing for war without seeking war”, after China’s military began an unprecedented four days of live-fire exercises close to Taiwan’s shores on Thursday, in reaction to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
- At midday local time, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV announced the beginning of “important military training exercise and organised live fire”, which are expected to include missile tests.
- Notices of the exercises identified six areas encircling Taiwan, with warnings for all ships and aircraft to avoid the areas. Some of the zones overlap with Taiwan’s territorial waters, and are near key shipping ports. Taiwan’s defence ministry has accused China of in effect mounting a blockade.
- A Taiwanese official said about ten Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line – the informal line dividing Chinese and Taiwanese territorial waters – before they were “driven away” by Taiwanese navy boats. “They sneaked in, and were driven away by us,” they said.
- Taiwan also said multiple Chinese air force planes briefly crossed the median line several times on Thursday morning, forcing Taiwan to scramble jets and deploy missile systems to track their movement.
- Unverified video appears to show live rockets being fired from the China towards Taiwan. AFP journalists in the border island of Pingtan saw several small projectiles flying into the sky followed by plumes of white smoke and loud booming sounds.
- Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau has issued warnings to ships to avoid the areas being used. The Taiwanese cabinet said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region (FIR).
Earlier today, amid the tension of the live-fire drills around Taiwan, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, stressed his country’s efforts to strengthen ties with south-east Asian nations at a meeting with top diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Associated Press reports that in his opening marks, Wang did not mention the situation in Taiwan directly, but instead stressed how China and the ASEAN countries had strengthened cooperation in recent years.
“We have safeguarded the oasis of peace in the face of the turbulence in the international security situation,” he said.
ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Updated
Reuters is carrying some quotes from a Taiwanese official, who it says spoke to them on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. The official describes todays events so far, saying about 10 Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line before they were “driven away” by Taiwanese navy boats.
“They sneaked in, and were driven away by us,” the Taiwanese source said.
Multiple Chinese air force planes briefly crossed the median line several times on Thursday morning, forcing Taiwan to scramble jets and deploy missile systems to track their movement, the person said.
“They flew in and then flew out, again and again. They continue to harass us and increase our air defence pressure.”
- It is Martin Belam here on the blog now, you can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
Chinese state media outlets are reporting Beijing conducted long-range artillery live-fire shooting drills in the Taiwan Straits, noting that “expected results have been achieved”.
“PLA Eastern Theatre Command Army conducted long-range artillery live-fire shooting drills in the Taiwan Straits, striking targets on the eastern side of the Straits and achieving the expected outcome,” China’s Global Times reported.
“The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted long-range live-fire shooting training in the Taiwan Straits on Thursday at around 1:00 p.m. and carried out precision strikes on specific areas in the eastern part of the Taiwan Straits,” state broadcaster CGTN added.
“The PLA Eastern Theatre Command said that expected results had been achieved.”
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi earlier described US house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as a “complete farce” at meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Cambodia.
“The irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland cannot be changed. Those who offend China will surely be punished,” he said.
You can watch Wang Yi’s remarks in the video below.
China’s military drills in the north, east and south areas bisect Taiwan’s claimed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters and encircle the island in an “unprecedented formation” a Chinese military professor has said.
Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defence University, told Chinese state television, the locations could provide a snapshot as to how an actual military operation against Taiwan could play out.
“In fact, this has created very good conditions for us when, in the future, we reshape our strategic landscape conducive to our unification,” Meng said, according to a Reuters report.
Chinese forces in two areas off the northern coast of Taiwan could potentially seal off Keelung, a major port, while strikes could be launched from an area east of Taiwan targeting the military bases in Hualien and Taidong, he said.
The “doors” to Kaoshiung could also be closed by Chinese military off the southwestern coast, Meng added.
Here are some of the latest images showing Chinese military helicopters flying past China’s mainland ahead of military drills off Taiwan this afternoon.
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has called US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan a “manic, irresponsible and highly irrational” action by the United States, state broadcaster CCTV is reporting.
Wang, speaking at the Asean foreign ministers meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, said China has made the “greatest diplomatic efforts” to avert crisis, but will never allow its core interests to be hurt.
China’s current and future measures are necessary and timely defensive countermeasures, carefully considered and evaluated, aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and security, in line with international and domestic law, CCTV cited Wang as saying.
Updated
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has thanked the Group of Seven (G7) nations for supporting regional peace and stability after the group called on China to resolve tensions in the Taiwan Strait in a peaceful manner.
Tsai, in a Twitter post, wrote:
Taiwan is committed to defending the status quo and our hard-earned democracy.
We’ll work with like-minded partners to maintain a free & open Indo-Pacific.”
Our south-east Asia correspondent, Rebecca Ratcliffe, has some more details surrounding comments made by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as foreign ministers meet in Cambodia today.
Foreign ministers from the 10-member bloc have called for “maximum restraint” regarding the Taiwan Strait, warning the situation could lead to “serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers.”
The bloc, which is currently gathering in Phnom Penh, said in a joint statement that it is “concerned with the international and regional volatility, especially in the recent development in the area adjacent with the Asean region, which could destabilise the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers.”
“Asean calls for maximum restraint, refrain from provocative action,” it added, without mentioning the US or China by name.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart Antony Blinken are both visiting Cambodia for talks with Asean ministers. However, they reportedly have no plans to meet together.
While some Asean members, including host country Cambodia, have close ties to Beijing, others are concerned by China’s growing assertiveness, including in the South China Sea.
The world is in dire need of wisdom and responsibility of all leaders to uphold multilateralism and partnership, cooperation, peaceful-coexistence and healthy competition for our shared goals of peace, stability, security and inclusive and sustainable development,” the Asean statement said. It also reiterated “Asean member states’ support for their respective One-China Policy”.
We have a little more detail on how Taiwan is responding to the drills which began just after midday on Thursday.
Ten minutes before the drills were due to begin, Taiwan’s department of defence issued a statement accusing the Chinese government of “irrational behaviour” with its live-fire exercises.
The exercises had “the intention of changing the status quo and disrupting regional peace and stability”, it said.
“The national army will continue to strengthen its alert, and troops at all levels will conduct daily training.”
#ROCArmdForces are operating as usual and monitor our surroundings in response to irrational activities from PRC, aiming for changing the status quo & destabilizing the region's security. We seek no escalation, but we don't stand down when it comes to our security and sovereignty
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 4, 2022
Meanwhile, the US Navy has said the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier was conducting scheduled operations in the Philippine Sea in the Western Pacific, a 5.7m square kilometre (2.2m square mile) stretch of ocean that includes waters southeast of Taiwan.
“USS Ronald Reagan and her strike group are underway in the Philippine Sea continuing normal, scheduled operations as part of her routine patrol in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” a US Navy Seventh Fleet spokesperson said, as reported by Reuters news agency.
Our correspondent in Taipei, Helen Davidson, is reporting that two unidentified aircraft are appearing on flight trackers around Taiwan.
One has no call sign and has been doing laps of Taiwan’s southern coast in an area aligning with one of the PLA exercise zones, she reports.
The second aircraft has since disappeared but carried the ID FFAB123... It was east of Taiwan’s Lanyu island before dropping off radar.
A Taiwan-based pilot has since replied saying that the FFAB123 aircraft is likely a Seahawk and the one without a callsign is a Poseidon P-8. Both are likely US aircraft.
Two unidentified aircraft appearing on flight trackers
— Helen Davidson (@heldavidson) August 4, 2022
1 has no call sign and has been doing laps of Taiwan's southern coast in an area aligning with one of the PLA exercise zones. pic.twitter.com/V8hD7HldKk
As Beijing has confirmed its military drills are now underway, Taiwan has said it will strengthen its self-defence capabilities and closely coordinate with the United States and like-minded countries.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou made the announcement during a news conference on Thursday, when asked about China’s planned military drills.
The series of military drills China is undertaking surrounding Taiwan can be seen in the map below.
China's military drills begin – reports
The Chinese military drills around Taiwan’s main island have started, according to Chinese state media.
At midday local time, state broadcaster CCTV said:
From 12:00 today to 12:00 [0400 GMT] on the 7th, the People’s Liberation Army is conducting an important military training exercise and organised live fire.
During this actual combat exercises, six major areas around the island were selected and during this period all ships and aircraft should not enter the relevant sea areas and airspace.”
The six identified zones surround the island, and occasionally overlap with Taiwanese territorial waters. Some are also very close to key ports and Taiwanese authorities have accused the PLA of in effect conducting a blockade - a very serious accusation.
“The Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Thursday conducted large-scale military exercises and training activities including live-fire drills around Taiwan island,” the broadcaster added.
Taiwan’s ministry of defence said its armed forces are “operating as usual” and monitoring surroundings. “We seek no escalation, but we don’t stand down when it comes to our security and sovereignty,” the ministry said.
Updated
Multiple reports are suggesting that tensions in the region surrounding Taiwan has led to mass flight re-routing and cancellations due to China’s planned military exercises.
BBC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonell reported that some 900 flights have had to alter their routes because of PLA military exercises off the coast and that 50 flights have been cancelled.
Multiple airlines were advised on Wednesday to adjust their flight routes over the coming days to avoid six “danger zones” near Taiwan.
The Guardian contacted airport authorities on Wednesday, who said the cancelled flights were unrelated to the Chinese military activity.
Reports from #Taiwan that some 900 flights have had to alter their routes because of PLA military exercises off the coast and that 50 flights have been cancelled. #China
— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) August 4, 2022
Updated
Asean warns of consequences of volatility
Southeast Asia’s regional bloc Asean has warned that an increase in international and regional volatility could lead to “miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations made the remarks in a statement from foreign ministers after the bloc’s chair Cambodia had called on all sides to de-escalate tensions over Taiwan.
The statement was released as China’s foreign minister Wang Yi met with his Asean counterparts in Phnom Penh.
Updated
China's French ambassador says Taiwanese people would be 'reeducated'
China’s ambassador to France has said the Taiwanese people would be “reeducated” after any successful annexation by China, in a fiery interview on French television.
The ambassador, Lu Shaye, accused Taiwan’s governing Democratic Progressive Party of conducting “extremist” propaganda and turning the Taiwanese people against “reunification” with China.
We will re-educate. I’m sure that...the Taiwanese population will again become favourable of the reunification, and will become patriots again,” he said.
Online, many observers noted the term “reeducation” is also used to describe Chinese authorities treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslims in Xinjiang.
There, authorities have sent an estimated 1-2 million people through what Beijing terms as “vocational education and training centres”.
Human rights groups and other governments say they are in fact part of a massive detention network. Lu denied the re-education would happen under threat, comparing it to French education of students on the values of its republic.
Challenged by the interviewer that Beijing wanted to have people thinking “correctly” in line with its own position because it did not like resistance, Lu said resistance “is not...the problem”.
“The Taiwanese authorities apply an approach of... how should I say... slicing the salami - advancing bit by bit. If we don’t react, if we don’t respond, in the end they will achieve their goal: independence.”
Lu said “the majority” of Taiwan’s population were in favour of formally becoming a part of China just one or two decades ago. It wasn’t clear what his claim was based on.
An analysis of dozens of polls conducted by various organisations between 1994 and 2000 show that only on two occasions have a majority of respondents supported unification. Both were polls conducted by the policy council of the current opposition Kuomintang party, in 2000.
All other polls showed support between 15 and 30%.Recent polling has found support for unification to be at record lows. One poll conducted by National Chengchi University’s Election Study Centre (ESC) in June found just 1.3% of respondents wanted unification “as soon as possible”, and 5.2% wanted to maintain the status quo before an eventual “move toward unification,”.
Chinese ambassador to France saying Taiwan would be subjected to “reeducation” after annexation, ie the Xinjiang treatment https://t.co/tsJ39Jo8ur
— Chris Horton 何貴森 (@heguisen) August 3, 2022
China FM calls Pelosi visit 'complete farce', vows to punish those who offend China
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has called US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan a “complete farce”.
“The irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland cannot be changed. Those who offend China will surely be punished,” he said.
Wang made the remarks on the sidelines of the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Cambodia on Wednesday.
The United States is violating China’s sovereignty under the guise of “democracy,” he told reporters.
Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and others ride the coattails of the United States and act against the noble cause of the Chinese nation.
These perverse actions will not alter the international consensus on the one-China principle, nor the historical trend that Taiwan will return to the motherland.”
China's SC&FM Wang Yi: Speaker Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region is an out-and-out farce. The irreversible historical trend of Taiwan’s return to the motherland cannot be changed. Those who offend China will surely be punished. pic.twitter.com/OXcnHf7u0T
— Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) August 3, 2022
Taiwan expects increased 'psychological warfare'
Taiwan has pledged to step up security against possible disruptions by “overseas forces” including cyber-attacks as tensions with China rise following Pelosi’s visit to Tapei on Wednesday.
Taiwan Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told a media briefing authorities had stepped security at key infrastructure including power plants and airports and increased the cybersecurity alertness level across government offices, according to a report from Reuters.
Lo said Taiwan expects to be the target in coming days of increased “psychological warfare”, which describes influence campaigns including misinformation to sway public opinion.
We are seeing psychological warfare that is stronger than ever before, and it will intensify in the coming days,” Lo said.
Taiwan officials have repeatedly warned about what they see as a Chinese campaign to weaken people’s support for the government.
Digital minister Audrey Tang said cyber-attacks on Taiwan government units on Tuesday surpassed 15,000 gigabits, 23 times higher than the previous daily record.
Several government websites including the presidential office were subject to overseas cyber-attacks, some of which authorities said were launched by China and Russia.
Updated
EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, has again reiterated the G7’s stance on China’s planned military exercises following Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
“There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,” he said.
“We encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency.”
There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 4, 2022
We encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency. https://t.co/b760G8L0J4
The president of Paraguay has offered solidarity to Taiwan. The South American nation is one of just 14 nations formally recognising Taiwan as a country.
“Paraguay expresses its solidarity with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the context of the threats it has been subjected to,” Mario Abdo Benítez said on Twitter.
“The democratic values of the Taiwanese people are an example to their region and the world, and deserve to be vindicated by the international community.”
El Paraguay expresa su apoyo solidario con la República de China (Taiwán), en el contexto de las amenazas que ha sido objeto.
— Marito Abdo (@MaritoAbdo) August 3, 2022
Los valores democráticos del pueblo taiwanés son un ejemplo para su región y el mundo, y merecen ser reivindicados por la comunidad internacional.
Condenamos el uso de la fuerza contra cualquier país, y expresamos nuestra solidaridad y firme apoyo a la soberana República de China (Taiwán), nuestro aliado diplomático de 65 años, bastión de democracia y principal mercado de la carne paraguaya.
— Vicepresidencia de la República del Paraguay (@ViceParaguay) August 3, 2022
🇵🇾 está con 🇹🇼 💪
South Korea's President to speak by phone with Pelosi - reports
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night where she is scheduled to meet with South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
Earlier reports suggested South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol had no plans to meet with the senior US official as he is currently on a summer holiday.
However, Yonhap news agency is now reporting that Yoon will speak by phone with Pelosi during her visit.
Taiwan defence ministry claims cyber-attacks
The Taiwan defence ministry has said its website suffered cyber-attacks and went offline temporarily on Thursday, adding it is working closely with other authorities to enhance cybersecurity as tensions with China rise.
Earlier this week, several government websites, including the presidential office, were subject to overseas cyber-attacks, some of which authorities said were launched by China and Russia.
Updated
US commitment to Taiwan democracy 'remains ironclad'
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan on Wednesday with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere “remains ironclad.”
Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first US House speaker to visit in more than 25 years.
Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing “a choice between democracy and autocracy.”
America’s determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad,” she said.
The Biden administration, and Pelosi, have said that the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.
Thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen presented her with a civilian honour, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.
I led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan to make crystal clear that America stands with the people of Taiwan – and all those committed to Democracy and human rights.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022
Check out this video of our historic visit to Taipei. pic.twitter.com/TON6zB3x4s
Here is a little more detail on the suspected drone activity above the Kinmen islands on Wednesday night.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
Major General Chang Zone-sung of the Army’s Kinmen Defence Command told Reuters that the Chinese drones came in a pair and flew into the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night, at around 9pm (1pm GMT) and 10pm.
We immediately fired flares to issue warnings and to drive them away. After that, they turned around. They came into our restricted area and that’s why we dispersed them,” he said.
We have a standard operating procedure. We will react if they come in,” Chang said, adding that the alert level there remained “normal”.
Chang said he believed the drones were intended to gather intelligence on Taiwan’s security deployment in its outlying islands.
The heavily fortified Kinmen islands are just off the southeastern coast of China, near the city of Xiamen.
Last week, Taiwan’s military fired flares to warn away a drone that “glanced” its Matsu archipelago off the coast of China’s Fujian province and was possibly probing its defences, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
Taiwan fires flares to drive away drones near Kinmen islands
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying Kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including it military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
Updated
G7 calls on China to resolve Taiwan dispute
The world’s most powerful democracies have slammed China for “increasing tensions and destabilising the region” over its response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
The G7’s top diplomats on Wednesday said they were “concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the People’s Republic of China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation”.
The statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU, read:
There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.
It urged China not to “unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means”.
They also made clear there was “no change in the respective one-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members”.
[We] encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”
South Korean President won't be meeting Pelosi in Seoul, on holiday
Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taiwan, the senior US official arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night as part of her Asian tour.
The congresswoman, who is second in line to the US presidency, will on Thursday meet South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
However, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has no plans to meet Pelosi as he is currently on a summer holiday, an official at the presidential office told SCMP.
The official denied earlier press reports that Yoon, who is taking a break at his home in Seoul, may head out to receive Pelosi.
In the first place, there was no such a plan (for Yoon’s meeting with Pelosi) as the president’s vacation schedule coincides with her visit here.”
The presidential office “welcomes” Pelosi’s visit to South Korea and it hopes her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim will be productive, the official said.
Asked about Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, she said: “Our government’s stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation.”
Speculation mounted on social media.
“Because of vacation? No way. Yoon is not meeting Pelosi as he is nunchi-ing around China,” one post read. Had this happened to Yoon’s predecessor – liberal former president Moon Jae-in – conservatives and news media would have “raised hell with it” and accused Moon of nunchi-ing around Beijing, the post added.
Updated
China claiming Taiwan's territory a 'historical inevitability', former ambassador to UK says
The former Chinese ambassador to the UK issued a scathing statement overnight, warning the US to stop obstructing China’s “great cause of reunification” and describing the process as a “historical inevitability”.
Liu Xiao Ming said:
The United States should not fantasise about obstructing China’s great cause of reunification. Taiwan is part of China.
Realising complete national reunification is the general trend and a historical inevitability. We will never leave any space for ‘Taiwan independence’ split and interference from external forces.
No matter what way the US supports and condones ‘Taiwan independence’, it will ultimately be a sham, and it will only leave more ugly records of the US grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs in history.
The Taiwan issue was born out of the country’s weakness and chaos, and it will surely end with the rejuvenation of the nation in the future.”
美国不要幻想阻挠中国的统一大业。台湾是中国的一部分。实现国家完全统一是大势所趋，是历史必然。我们绝不会为“台独”分裂和外部势力干涉留下任何空间。美方不论以什么方式支持纵容“台独”，最终都将是竹篮打水一场空，只会在历史上留下更多美国粗暴干涉别国内政的丑陋记录。
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 3, 2022
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of tensions between China and Taiwan.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments.
It is approaching 7am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
- China is to begin a series of unprecedented live-fire drills that would effectively blockade the island of Taiwan, just hours after the departure of US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week has sparked fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait.
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Taiwan has characterised the drills as a violation of international law. The drills will last until Sunday afternoon – and will include missile tests and other “military operations” as close as nine miles to Taiwan’s coastline.
- Ahead of the drill, Taiwan said 27 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone.
- Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night under intense global scrutiny, and was met by the foreign minister Joseph Wu and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.
- Pelosi addressed Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday before having public and private meetings with the president, Tsai Ing-wen. “Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” she said, adding that US solidarity with Taiwan was “crucial” in facing an increasingly authoritarian China.
- In a later statement, she said China could not prevent world leaders from travelling to Taiwan “to pay respect to its flourishing democracy”.
- Pelosi’s trip generated condemnation from Beijing and sparked fears of a new Taiwan strait crisis.
- China vowed “consequences” and announced military exercises in waters around the island on Thursday to show its dissatisfaction.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Beijing of planning to violate the international convention on the law of sea, by breaching Taiwan’s sovereign territory.
- Taiwanese authorities have said the proximity to some major ports combined with orders for all aircraft and sea vessels to steer clear of the area amount to a blockade.
- While China’s military often holds live-fire exercises in the strait and surrounding seas, those planned for this week encircle Taiwan’s main island and target areas within its territorial sea.
Updated
