Qin Gang, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, has said the US “must bear full responsibility for the current situation across the Taiwan Straits”, reports Chinese state media.
China’s actions in the waters around Taiwan are “necessary and legitimate measures to deter separatist forces on the island, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. With prior warnings, the Chinese side matches its words with actions,” Qin was quoted as saying by Global Times.
.@AmbQinGang sternly rejected US’ unreasonable accusations on Chinese military countermeasures when meeting with White House national security officials, saying the US side must bear full responsibility for the current situation across the Taiwan Straits. https://t.co/qF6a7W9H0s
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 6, 2022
Updated
Beijing is freezing its cooperation with Washington on global warming, but experts are hoping that, for the sake of humanity, the cold spell between the world’s two largest emitters is only temporary, reports Agence France-Presse.
AFP has the following analysis:
The unraveling relationship comes not long after China and the US announced a surprise agreement to strengthen climate action at the UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021...
IPCC author Francois Gemenne called China’s decision a “total disaster for the climate... comparable to the US withdrawal from the Paris agreement.”
Former president Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement, but his successor Joe Biden returned the country to the accord in 2021.
The temporary US withdrawal has nonetheless been accompanied by backtracking on domestic and foreign climate policy, experts say.
China’s announcement, on the other hand, is “certainly not a withdrawal from the world stage on climate issues or a rejection of climate action,” David Waskow, director of the World Resources Institute’s international climate initiative, told AFP.
Mohamed Adow, founder of the Power Shift Africa energy think tank echoed that sentiment, adding that “breaking off diplomacy doesn’t mean China is backtracking on its commitments,” particularly as, “in many respects, China is way ahead of the US when it comes to action on climate change.
Biden has pledged to cut US emissions by 50 to 52 percent by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
But his ambitions have been thwarted by failure to push green energy projects and climate initiatives through Congress, although some progress has been made in recent days.
For its part, China, which is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases in absolute value but far behind the US in emissions per capita, has committed to reaching peak emissions in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060.”
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Saturday that it had fired flares late on Friday to warn away seven drones flying over its outlying Kinmen Islands and to warn unidentified aircraft flying over its outlying Matsu Islands, Reuters has reported.
The ministry said troops were on high alert in both areas, which lie just off the coast of mainland China.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa have urged China to immediately cease military exercises.
In a joint statement released after they met in Phnom Penh on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, they “expressed their concern about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent actions that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises.”
They also “condemned the PRC’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilizing the region.”
The statement added: “There is no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of Australia, Japan, or the United States.”
North Korea has denounced US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “the worst destroyer of international peace and stability”, after she expressed her commitment to achieving its denuclearisation.
During a visit to South Korea this week, Pelosi and her South Korean counterpart, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, said in a joint statement that they “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.”
North Korean state media KCNA said Pelosi’s remarks were part of a US scheme to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula, Reuters has reported. KCNA also said Pelosi was trying to justify hostile American policy against North Korea and support US arms buildup.
“Pelosi, the worst destroyer of international peace and stability, had... incurred the wrath of the Chinese people for her recent junket to Taiwan,” the KCNA statement said, citing Jo Yong Sam, director general of the Department of Press and Information at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
“The US will have to pay dearly for all the sources of trouble spawned by her wherever she went.”
Updated
Summary
It’s just past 6am in Taipei. Here’s where things stand:
- China’s decision to suspend bilateral talks on climate change with the United States does not punish Washington, “it punishes the world,” the US special envoy on climate change, John Kerry, said on Friday. “No country should withhold progress on existential transnational issues because of bilateral differences,” said the former US secretary of state, who is currently the Biden administration’s top climate diplomat.
- Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has condemned Chinese military drills near Taiwan, saying that it is a threat to regional security. Speaking after a meeting with the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in Tokyo on Friday, Kishida said China’s live-fire exercises near the self-governed island must “stop immediately”. Beijing announced four days of drills that are expected to finish on Sunday. The drills are a “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens,” Kishida told reporters.
- The US said on Friday that China’s decision to halt cooperation in a number of critical areas, including climate change, over Taiwan was “fundamentally irresponsible.” “We believe that this is fundamentally irresponsible,” the national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, told reporters about the Chinese move.
- On Friday, the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, walked out of a plenary session just as Japan’s top diplomat, Yoshimasa Hayashi, spoke. Wang called a rare news conference late on Friday, where he accused the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, of spreading misinformation. He called Nancy Pelosi’s trip a “contemptible farce” and stressed China’s military response to it was “firm, forceful and appropriate”.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday the island’s military had dispatched aircraft and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor ships and aircraft that briefly crossed the Taiwan strait median line. On Thursday, China fired multiple missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan. The defence ministry later said the missiles were high in the atmosphere and posed no threat. It gave no details of their flight paths, citing intelligence concerns.
- China has “historically been a victim of foreign aggression”, its foreign ministry spokesperson said. In a series of tweets on Friday, Hua Chunying said: “China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US still grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs and attempts to undermine China’s sovereignty and security from time to time.”
-
The Taiwanese defense ministry said that Taiwan scrambled jets on Friday to warn away 49 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, according to Reuters. All 49 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan strait median line, the ministry said in a statement.
That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as I hand the blog over to my colleagues in Australia who will continue bringing you the latest updates. Thank you.
Updated
China’s decision to suspend bilateral talks on climate change with the United States does not punish Washington, “it punishes the world,” the US special envoy on climate change, John Kerry, said on Friday, Reuters reports.
“No country should withhold progress on existential transnational issues because of bilateral differences,” said the former US secretary of state, who is currently the Biden administration’s top climate diplomat.
“Suspending cooperation doesn’t punish the United States; it punishes the world, particularly the developing world,” he said.
Updated
Despite strong support in Taiwan for keeping the status quo, an interest in independence is growing, a recent study by the National Chengchi University in Taiwan found.
Updated
Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has condemned Chinese military drills near Taiwan, saying that it is a threat to regional security.
The Guardian’s Tokyo correspondent Justin McCurry reports:
Speaking after a meeting with the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in Tokyo on Friday, Kishida said China’s live-fire exercises near the self-governed island must “stop immediately”. Beijing announced four days of drills that are expected to finish on Sunday.
The drills are a “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens,” Kishida told reporters.
China is Japan’s biggest trading partner, but the countries have traded verbal blows over the Senkakus – uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are administered by Japan but claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyu. While Tokyo is keen not to antagonise Beijing, its role in hosting tens of thousands of US troops –most of them based on the southern island of Okinawa – could see Japan playing a key role in any crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
Five Chinese missiles appeared to have landed in Japan’s EEZ off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan’s main islands, with four believed to have flown over Taiwan’s main island. The zone extends up to 200 nautical miles (370km) from the country’s coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters.
Read more of Justin McCurry’s reporting here:
Updated
A new study by the National Chengchi University in Taiwan found that 64% of Taiwanese people now identify as Taiwanese only, a significant increase over the past two decades.
The US said on Friday that China’s decision to halt cooperation in a number of critical areas, including climate change, over Taiwan was “fundamentally irresponsible.”
“We believe that this is fundamentally irresponsible,” the national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, told reporters about the Chinese move, Agence France-Presse reports.
“They think they’re punishing us by shutting down this channel,” Kirby said. “They’re actually punishing the whole world because the climate crisis doesn’t recognize geographic boundaries and borders.”
Kirby went on to add that the US had nothing to rectify in regards to Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Beijing, after Beijing demanded that Washington fix its “mistakes.”
China can “go a long way to taking the tensions down simply by stopping these provocative military exercises and ending the rhetoric,” Kirby said.
Updated
On Friday, the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, walked out of a plenary session just as Japan’s top diplomat, Yoshimasa Hayashi, spoke, Reuters reports.
Wang called a rare news conference late on Friday, where he accused the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, of spreading misinformation.
He called the US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip a “contemptible farce” and stressed China’s military response to it was “firm, forceful and appropriate”.
When asked about his walkout, Wang suggested Hayashi may have had a guilty conscience.
“If the Japanese side has some concern about this, then I am afraid the Japanese side should think about whether they have done something very wrong to China,” he said.
“If you have not done anything wrong to China, why are you worried about this?”
Hayashi said he noticed Wang and Lavrov leaving as he spoke.
“In times like this, when the situation is tense, communicating well is important. Japan is always open to dialogue with China,” Hayashi told reporters.
Updated
Taiwan dispatched aircraft and ships to monitor Chinese drills, says defence ministry
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday the island’s military had dispatched aircraft and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor ships and aircraft that briefly crossed the Taiwan strait median line, Reuters reports.
On Thursday, China fired multiple missiles into waters surrounding Taiwan.
The defence ministry later said the missiles were high in the atmosphere and posed no threat. It gave no details of their flight paths, citing intelligence concerns.
Some Taipei residents, including the mayor, Ko Wen-je, condemned the government for not sending out a missile alert. However, some experts believe this may have been done to try to avoid stoking panic.
It counteracted the effect of the Chinese Communist party’s psychological warfare,” Mei Fu-shin, a US-based analyst told Reuters. “The shock and fear were not as great as they could have been.”
Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, urged residents to keep calm, saying in a Facebook post on Friday that “the government has prepared a complete response and the military is doing its best to respond, which will definitely ensure people’s safety. Please rest assured, stay calm and live as normal.”
Updated
China has “historically been a victim of foreign aggression”, its foreign ministry spokesperson said.
In a series of tweets on Friday, Hua Chunying said: “China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US still grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs and attempts to undermine China’s sovereignty and security from time to time.”
China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US still grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and attempts to undermine China's sovereignty and security from time to time.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 5, 2022
“The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. The US should take seriously and respect the core interests and the firm will of the Chinese people, who account for one fifth of the world’s population,” she added.
She went on to condemn the US, saying if it is “indeed a responsible country, it should have prevented [Nancy] Pelosi’s irresponsible aggression early on and it should have removed the many military vessels and aircraft it had deployed at China’s doorstep.”
Updated
The Taiwanese defense ministry said that Taiwan scrambled jets on Friday to warn away 49 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, according to Reuters.
All 49 Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan strait median line, the ministry said in a statement.
Updated
AFP reports Taiwan’s prime minister Su Tseng-chang has called for allies to push for de-escalation, saying: “(We) didn’t expect that the evil neighbour next door would show off its power at our door and arbitrarily jeopardise the busiest waterways in the world with its military exercises,” he told reporters.
Updated
Helen Davidson offers this analysis from Taipei:
Amid the round-the-clock global coverage, there was still a distinct lack of panic among Taiwanese. Reporters roamed coastal spots near the drill zones, looking for quotes but finding few in fear. In the capital, Taipei, people ate their lunches in city restaurants as warships steamed across wall-mounted television screens. Online, people shared memes and joked about an anti-US protester photographed outside Pelosi’s hotel, holding a sign made with pieced-together printed papers that was evidently supposed to say “Warmonger Pelosi” but instead read “ongerwarm osiPel”.
Social media commenters brushed it all off as not real military action. “The CCP has no real ability and can only put on some performances,” said one.
Inside Taiwan, there is real gratitude towards Pelosi, despite the potentially dangerous fallout. Outside the airport on Wednesday, Timothy Lee said she had “risked her life” to visit and show Taiwan support. Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese activist who was recently released from a Chinese jail after five years, was one of three former political prisoners to meet Pelosi. He told the Guardian her visit showed young people they should keep defending human rights.
“She is an 82-year-old and not giving up,” Lee said. “She has not given up and Taiwan should not give up.”
Read more of Helen Davidson’s analysis here: What the fallout from Pelosi’s visit means for Taiwan and China
Updated
US national security spokesman John Kirby has said that when China’s ambassador Qin Gang was summoned to the White House, the US made clear to the ambassador that China’s military actions are irresponsible and at odds with maintaining peace and stability across the region.
Reuters quotes Kirby saying: “We also made clear that the United States is prepared for what Beijing chooses to do. We will not seek and do not want a crisis.
“At the same time, we will not be deterred from operating in the seas and skies of the western Pacific, consistent with international law, as we have for decades, and supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Updated
Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu has said in a tweet that “China carried out a record 68 sorties by warplanes and sailed 13 warships around Taiwan”.
He added: “Many crossed the median line of the strait to simulate attacks. This dangerous escalation of the military threat is wrecking peace and stability in the region and must be condemned.”
#China carried out a record 68 sorties by warplanes & sailed 13 warships around #Taiwan. Many crossed the median line of the strait to simulate attacks. This dangerous escalation of the military threat is wrecking peace & stability in the region & must be condemned. JW https://t.co/ovZNVvCEnZ
— 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) August 5, 2022
The tweet came from the ministry’s official account and was initialled “JW” to show it was personally by the minister.
Updated
Summary of the day so far …
It has just gone half-past eight in the evening in Taiwan, and here is a summary of events so far today.
- China has continued to carry out military drills and exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan for a second day, following the visit of US politician Nancy Pelosi to the islands. The Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has stated that China’s military conducted air and sea combat drills to the north, south-west and east of Taiwan, and continues “to test the troops’ joint combat capabilities”.
- Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday a total of 68 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships were conducting missions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait and some of them have “deliberately” crossed an unofficial buffer separating the two sides known as the median line. The ministry condemned China in a statement, saying its armed forces have “seriously damaged” the status quo and “harassed” Taiwan’s water and air space. Taiwan said it had used alert broadcasts, aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in its response.
- State broadcaster CCTV showed an interview in China with Meng Xiangqing, a professor at China’s military-affiliated National Defence University, in which he claimed the exercises “included live-firing tests, and it was the first time they crossed Taiwan island”. The claim has not been verified, and Taiwan has made no official comment about an overflight.
- China has announced it has halted ties with the US on a range of critical issues. The cancelled interactions ranged from climate talks, to dialogues between the leaders of Chinese and US military theatres, to the working meeting of Chinese and US defence ministries and consultation mechanism on maritime military safety between the countries.
- China’s government also announced unspecified personal sanctions against Pelosi and her direct relatives in response to what it said was her “vicious and provocative actions” by going to Taiwan, accusing her of “seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously trampling on the one-China principle, and seriously threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan strait”.
- Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen delivered a video message in response to China’s exercises starting on Thursday. In it, she says: “We are calm and not impetuous, we are rational and not provocative, but we will also be firm and not shirk. Taiwan will never be knocked down by challenges.”
- US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned again that China’s “provocative” actions risk a serious escalation and could destabilise the region. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Asean regional forum meeting, Blinken told the media that the US has repeatedly told China that it did not seek a crisis. Blinken said that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was peaceful, and that “there was no possible justification for what they have done” in response.
- The US has summoned China’s ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to démarche him for China’s actions. A démarche is a protest lodged through diplomatic channels.
- China summoned Canada’s ambassador over the country’s participation in a statement issued by the foreign ministers of the G7 nations. Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng informed the ambassador Canada should “immediately correct its mistakes” on the issue of Taiwan or “bear all consequences”.
- Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly walked out of a session at the Asean forum today when their Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi spoke.
- Pelosi has been in Tokyo today, where Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida said he told her “we have called for the immediate cancellation of the military drills”, which he described as a “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens”.
- Australia’s foreign secretary Penny Wong has described China’s actions as “disproportionate and destabilising”.
Updated
Earlier today, the US secretary of state said there was “no justification” for China’s military drills around Taiwan after the US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of the Asean regional forum meeting, Antony Blinken said the US had repeatedly told China it did not seek a crisis. He added that Pelosi’s visit was peaceful but China chose to “overreact”. Here’s the video clip:
Updated
Taiwan claims 68 Chinese planes and 13 warships conducting missions in Taiwan strait
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Friday a total of 68 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships were conducting missions in the sensitive Taiwan strait and some of them have “deliberately” crossed an unofficial buffer separating the two sides known as the median line.
Reuters reports the ministry condemned China in a statement, saying its armed forces have “seriously damaged” the status quo and “harassed” Taiwan’s water and air space.
- An earlier version of this block incorrectly stated that all 68 aircraft and 13 ships were believed to have crossed the median line.
Updated
China halts ties with US on range of critical issues including climate crisis
China has halted ties with the US on a range of critical issues, from talks on the climate crisis to dialogue between their militaries, following the visit to Taiwan by the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
The announcement of the counter-measures came as Beijing conducted military drills surrounding the island of Taiwan. Earlier, China announced sanctions against Pelosi and her direct family members. Beijing called Pelosi’s visit “vicious and provocative actions”.
The halted interactions ranged from climate talks, to dialogues between the leaders of Chinese and US military theatres, to the working meeting of Chinese and US defence ministries and consultation mechanism on maritime military safety between the countries.
Tensions are running high in the Taiwan strait. The military drills have forced a number of vessels to reroute their journeys, causing disruptions to regional – and global – economies. On average, 240 commercial ships have passed through the maritime zones each day over the past week, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data.
Earlier, the US condemned China’s launch of ballistic missiles around Taiwan during live-fire exercises as an “overreaction”, as a number of Chinese ships and planes again crossed the median line.
Read more of Vincent Ni’s report: China halts US cooperation after Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
Updated
Reuters is carrying a report that suggests that tensions at the gathering of foreign ministers hosted by south-east Asia’s regional bloc Asean have continued. As well as the member states, counterparts from the US, China, Russia, Japan and Australia have all been there.
It appears that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov walked out of a session today when their Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi spoke, according to what a person who was in the room has said to the news agency.
Wang had cancelled a meeting with Japan’s representative in Cambodia a day earlier, with China citing displeasure over a G7 statement urging it to resolve tension over Taiwan peacefully.
Updated
As well as earlier announcing that it would impose sanctions on US House speaker Nancy Pelosi following her visit to Taiwan, China’s foreign ministry is announcing the withdrawal of joint cooperation with the US on a range of issues.
Reuters reports it has listed climate talks between the US and China, dialogue between US and China military leaders, cross-border cooperation on crime, maritime safety mechanisms and relationships on immigration and anti-drug policies as areas of activity that will cease.
More details soon …
Updated
Reuters reports that the official Weibo account of the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has stated that China’s military conducted air and sea combat drills to the north, south-west and east of Taiwan, and continues “to test the troops’ joint combat capabilities”.
Updated
China has said that it summoned Canada’s ambassador over the country’s participation in a statement issued by the foreign ministers of the G7 nations.
Reuters reports that in a statement from China’s foreign ministry today, it says Jim Nickel was summoned on Thursday by Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng who informed him Canada should “immediately correct its mistakes” on the issue of Taiwan or “bear all consequences”.
US summons Chinese ambassador to White House for rebuke
The Washington Post is reporting that China’s ambassador to the US has been summoned to the White House.
“After China’s actions overnight, we summoned Ambassador Qin Gang to the White House to démarche him about the PRC’s provocative actions,” White House spokesman John Kirby said in a statement provided to the Washington Post.
“We condemned the PRC’s military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” A démarche is a protest lodged through diplomatic channels.
Yesterday, the Washington Post carried an op-ed piece written by the ambassador, in which he put China’s point of view over the escalating dispute. In the article, titled Why China objects to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Qin Gang wrote:
Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China’s territory for 1,800 years.
When China and the United States established diplomatic relations on 1 January 1979, the United States recognised in the joint communique with China that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. Four decades have passed since, and the United States has long been committed to not developing official relations with Taiwan.
By order of succession, House speaker Nancy Pelosi is the third-highest-ranking official in the US government. Traveling in a military aircraft, Pelosi paid a high-profile “official visit to Taiwan” this week, as her office described it in her arrival statement, and was given full-protocol treatment by Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive party authorities, who make no secret of pursuing independence in their party platform. Such a visit has openly broken America’s commitment not to develop official relations with Taiwan.
That position is disputed. Yesterday Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that China has no reason to overreact, as “the US and other Nato allies have paid visits with high-ranking officials to Taiwan regularly over the years”.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images we have received from China and Taiwan over the newswires.
Here is the video clip where Taiwan’s president says her country will not provoke conflicts but will firmly defend its sovereignty and national security.
Tsai Ing-wen delivered the video message in response to China’s exercises. In it she says: “We are calm and not impetuous, we are rational and not provocative, but we will also be firm and not shirk. Taiwan will never be knocked down by challenges.”
China announces sanctions against Pelosi over Taiwan visit
China’s government has announced sanctions against Nancy Pelosi and her direct relatives in response to “vicious and provocative actions” by going to Taiwan, state media has said.
According to CGTN, Pelosi …
… insisted on going to Taiwan in disregard of China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs, seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously trampling on the one-China principle, and seriously threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan strait. In response to Pelosi’s vicious and provocative actions, China has decided to impose sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family in accordance with the relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China.
China has not yet specified the sanctions in public.
Updated
Australia’s foreign secretary Penny Wong has described China’s actions as “disproportionate and destabilising”. In a tweet she said:
The launch of ballistic missiles by China into waters around Taiwan’s coastline is disproportionate and destabilising. I have expressed Australia’s concerns to my Chinese and other regional counterparts at the East Asia Summit today.
Australia’s foreign ministry has issued a full statement, which additionally says:
This is a serious matter for the region, including for our close strategic partner, Japan.
Australia shares the region’s concerns about this escalating military activity, especially the risks of miscalculation. We urge restraint and de-escalation.
It is in all our interests to have a region at peace and not in conflict. Australia does not want to see any unilateral change to the status quo across the Taiwan strait. There is no change to Australia’s bipartisan one-China policy.
Updated
Japanese officials’ recent statements on the tensions in the Taiwan Strait were an attempt to justify the “wrongdoers”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has said during a regular briefing.
Reuters reports that the harsh words come after a planned bilateral meeting between China’s foreign minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of Asean events in Cambodia were cancelled.
Tokyo protested to Beijing yesterday after Japan said five of the missiles China fired in its military exercises on Thursday landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Updated
Blinken: 'no possible justification' for China's actions
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned again that China’s “provocative” actions risk a serious escalation and could destabilise the region.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Asean regional forum meeting, Blinken told the media that the US has repeatedly told China that it did not seek a crisis. Blinken said that Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was peaceful, and that “there was no possible justification for what they have done” in response.
The secretary of state said that the US would stick by its allies in the region.
He also said that the US would not be provoked by China’s actions, and that US forces would fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows. He vowed that the US would continue to make maritime transits of the Taiwan strait, and also said that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan would stay in the area.
Updated
A source in Taiwan has given an anonymous briefing to Reuters, which reports that “around 10 Chinese navy ships crossed the median line and remained in the area on Friday morning, and about 20 Chinese military aircraft briefly crossed the median line.”
As yet there has been no official confirmation from the Taiwan ministry of defence on the number of incursions.
Updated
Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida has called for the “immediate cancellation” of China’s military exercises aimed at the Taiwan strait.
Speaking to the media after meeting with US politician Nancy Pelosi in Tokyo, Kishida said that he told her “we have called for the immediate cancellation of the military drills”, which he described as a “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens”.
Reuters quotes US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, who was with Pelosi earlier, as saying “It is clear that the US-Japan alliance will stand strong, shoulder-to-shoulder, to defend our interests and our values.”
In a news conference after meeting Kishida, Pelosi told reporters:
We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region. The Chinese government is not pleased that our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one. It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan.
Updated
Taiwan’s ministry of defence has posted to social media to say: “We seek no escalation, nor do antagonise others.”
It confirms that it has used alert broadcasts, aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in its response after “multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan strait”.
Multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan Strait and have crossed the median line. #ROCArmedForces have utilized alert broadcast, aircraft in CAP, patrolling naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in response to this situation. pic.twitter.com/lVpRWCZxhm
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 5, 2022
- This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
Updated
On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered on Friday to try to catch a glimpse of any military aircraft heading toward the “military exercise” area.
Fighter jets could be heard flying overhead and tourists taking photos chanted, “Let’s take Taiwan back,” looking out into the blue waters of the Taiwan Strait from Pingtan island, a popular scenic spot.
Taiwan’s President has issued a statement of reassurance, maintaining the island’s military is “ready to respond as necessary”.
Tsai Ing-wen made the statement over her official Twitter page just after 1pm.
Our government and military are closely monitoring China’s military exercises and information warfare operations, ready to respond as necessary.
I call on the international community to support democratic Taiwan and halt any escalation of the regional security situation.”
Our government & military are closely monitoring China's military exercises & information warfare operations, ready to respond as necessary. I call on the international community to support democratic Taiwan & halt any escalation of the regional security situation. pic.twitter.com/uAoDAU2bMV
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 5, 2022
Updated
China has said it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticising threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan.
The foreign ministry on Friday said Vice Minister Deng Li made “solemn representations” over what he called “wanton interference in China’s internal affairs.”
Missiles cross Taiwan in latest drill, Chinese media report
We have a little more detail on the Chinese missiles that reportedly flew over Taiwan during Beijing’s latest military drills on Friday.
Meng Xiangqing, a professor at China’s military-affiliated National Defence University, spoke with state broadcaster CCTV, lauding the accuracy of Beijing’s capabilities.
Our exercises this time included live-firing tests, and it was the first time they crossed Taiwan island.”
He added that they passed through an airspace where Patriot missiles - a highly mobile surface-to-air missile system that would be a crucial defence against Chinese warplanes - are densely deployed.
The latest drills also represented the PLA’s closest-ever exercises to the island, its first encirclement and the first time it set up a shooting range east of Taiwan, Meng said.
China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that the military “flew more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers” during the exercises, as well as “over 10 destroyers and frigates.”
The Chinese exercises involve troops from the navy, air force, rocket force, strategic support force and logistic support force, according to Xinhua.
The median line is an unofficial but once largely adhered-to border that runs down the middle of the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and China.
Updated
Taiwan dispatches aircraft and ships in response to Chinese military incursions
Taiwan’s defence ministry says its military has dispatched aircraft and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor the situation, as China conducts large-scale military drills in zones surrounding Taiwan.
Multiple Chinese vessels and aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Friday morning the defence ministry said, which described China’s military activities as “highly provocative”.
Taiwan’s military will prepare combat readiness but will not ask for a war, the defence ministry added.
Updated
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said China “will not isolate” Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there.
Pelosi, who is currently leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, with her last stop in Tokyo, said her visit was “not about changing the status quo” but recognised China “made their strikes probably using our visit as an excuse”.
Pelosi said the Chinese have tried to isolate Taiwan, adding, “they are not doing our travel schedule.”
You can watch the video of her remarks from the US embassy in Tokyo below.
China summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing to lodge stern representations over its participation in an “erroneous” Group of Seven (G7) nations statement on Taiwan, the foreign ministry said on Friday, as reported by Reuters news agency.
Chinese vice foreign minister Deng Li issued the diplomatic complaint to Japan’s ambassador to China on Thursday, the foreign ministry statement said.
Earlier, the ministry said it issued a similar complaint to certain European countries and EU envoys to China over the matter.
Shipments to iPhone assembler Pegatron Corp’s factory in China were being held for scrutiny by Chinese customs officials a day after the company’s top executive met US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taipei, the Nikkei reported on Friday.
The shipments to Pegatron’s Suzhou facility were being checked on Thursday to see if they violated a rule against cartons carrying the words “Taiwan” or “Republic of China”, the report said, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Pegatron vice chairman Jason Chen and other Taiwanese chip industry figures met with Pelosi at a lunch hosted by President Tsai Ing-Wen on Wednesday. A photo of the event was later posted by the presidential office showing Chen and others, including TSMC founder Morris Chang and Chairman Mark Liu.
Several Taiwanese component suppliers also received urgent requests from their customers on Friday morning asking them to be sure that shipments comply with the labelling requirements, the Nikkei added.
Chinese authorities reiterated that boxes, shipping documents, cartons, and export and import declaration forms cannot show the words “Republic of China,” “R.O.C.” or “Taiwan,” according to notices from manufacturers citing the authorities and seen by Nikkei Asia.
“If the word ‘R.O.C.’ appears, the shipment will be held and checked and cannot be shipped,” one of the notices said, according to the outlet. “Please review all the documents, forms and boxes carefully.”
Updated
Vincent Ni, our China affairs correspondent, has written about how Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has kicked off a wave of nationalistic fervour inside China. Here is his report in full:
Chinese ships and planes crossed median line on Friday morning, Taiwan MoD says
Taiwan’s ministry of defence has just announced that multiple PLA ships and planes again crossed the median line this morning.
It said the PLA’s military exercises were highly provocative, “whether it was launching ballistic missiles or deliberately crossing the median line of the strait”.
“Adhering to the principle of preparing for war and not seeking war, the national army will work together to firmly defend sovereignty and national security.”
Updated
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also made reference to China’s human rights history during her visit to Tokyo today.
If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out on human rights any place in the world.”
Pelosi noted that China “has some contradictions” and that while “some progress in terms of lifting people up” has been made, other “horrible things happening which are regarded as flagrant genocide”.
Speaking again about Taiwan, she said: “Taiwan is one of the freest countries in the world. Their democracy was hard in the making. Their economy is flourishing, we have seen the success of their semiconductor business. And in governance, LGBTQ and all kinds of issues. This isn’t about me, it’s about them.”
Blinken joins Russian and Chinese FM at East Asia Summit
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined the foreign ministers of Russia and China at a meeting on Friday with top diplomats from Southeast Asia.
The East Asia Summit of the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Cambodia’s capital was the first time the three men were scheduled to take part in the same forum.
Here is a recap of the meeting by the Associated Press:
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi patted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response.
Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even look over to Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half-dozen chairs away, or to Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Lavrov.
Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the US State Department indicated Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings.
1/4 On the sidelines of the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asian cooperation in Phnom Penh, SC&FM #WangYi further elaborated on #China's position on the #US side's provocative behavior in violation of China's sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/G7XI4oeMvh
— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) August 5, 2022
The East Asia Summit’s chair, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, opened the 2.5 hour talks saying he hoped that all delegates would use the forum as a “means of engagement and communication” with one another.
“Every year we have our set of challenges to address but I have to say that never before, not like this year, have we been confronted with so many perils at the same time,” he said before ushering the media out to begin the closed-door talks.
Airlines cancelling and rerouting flights
Some airlines have cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others using nearby airspace that has been closed to civilian traffic during Chinese military exercises.
The airspace involved is comparatively small, but the disruption is hampering travel between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia.
Korean Air Lines Co Ltd said it had cancelled flights between Seoul and Taipei on Friday and Saturday, and would delay a flight on Sunday due to the exercises, according to Reuters.
Singapore Airlines Ltd said it had cancelled its Friday flights between Singapore and Taipei due to “evolving airspace restrictions” and would continue to monitor the situation in case more adjustments were needed.
Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc and Japan Airlines Co Ltd are still operating flights to Taipei as normal, spokespeople for the airlines said, but are avoiding the affected airspace on those flights, as well as on routes to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Thursday its flights were avoiding designated airspace zones around Taiwan, in a move that could lead to more flying time for some flights.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed Taiwanese carriers China Airlines Ltd and EVA Airways Corp were still flying to and from the island as of Friday morning, as was Philippine Airlines and cargo carriers FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc, though avoiding the areas affected by the military drills.
Emirates was still scheduled to fly to Taipei on Friday, according to its website.
OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that shares information on flight risks, said the Chinese military exercises would affect major routes between Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, leading to re-routings that could take longer and burn extra fuel.
China is 'not doing our travel schedule' Pelosi says
Here is a little more on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments as she concludes the congressional delegation visit to the Indo-Pacific region, with her last stop in Tokyo.
We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo here in Asia, or changing the status quo in Taiwan.
Pelosi said her goal was to ensure there was peace in the Taiwan Straits and that the status quo would prevail.
The Chinese made their strikes probably using our visit as an excuse,” she added.
The Chinese have tried to isolate Taiwan .... they may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there.
We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan. They are not doing our travel schedule ... Our friendship with Taiwan in a strong one.”
Updated
Pelosi says US will not allow China to isolate Taiwan
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there.
Pelosi, who is currently visiting officials in Tokyo, said the US will “not allow” China to isolate Taiwan, after her visit infuriated Beijing.
They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there.”
Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea.
In Taipei on Wednesday, Pelosi said the American commitment to democracy in Taiwan and elsewhere “remains ironclad.”
As our Delegation concludes our visit to the Indo-Pacific, we return strengthened and informed by our travels.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 5, 2022
Join us live for insight into how we will continues working to build a free and open Indo-Pacific upon returning to the United States. https://t.co/DnV5p729jC
Updated
Taiwan’s “evil neighbour” next door is showing off her power at our door, the island’s premier said on Friday.
China is arbitrarily destroying the world’s most frequently used waterway with military exercises, Su Tseng-chang told reporters in Taipei, when asked about China’s missile launches.
China’s actions are being condemned by neighbouring countries and the world, Su added.
Updated
The US navy’s USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier has reportedly retreated after Beijing’s military set a shooting range to the east of Taiwan.
The South China Morning Post reports a mainland military official as confirming the news.
Earlier on Thursday, White House spokesperson John Kirby said the carrier group had been ordered by the Pentagon to “remain on station in the general area to monitor the situation.”
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.
However, Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the National Defence University, was quoted by China’s state broadcaster CGTV as saying Beijing had set its shooting range to the east of the island for the first time and that the USS Ronald Reagan had since retreated a few hundred kilometres.
The US navy has not confirmed the reports.
Updated
Former Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, has made some bold claims against G7 countries this morning.
If the G7 countries truly care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should have urged the US early on not to make such a dangerous, reckless and irresponsible provocation against China. Before Pelosi’s visit, those countries played dumb and did not say a word.”
If the #G7 countries truly care about peace & stability in the #Taiwan Strait, they should have urged the #US early on not to make such a dangerous, reckless and irresponsible provocation against #China. Before #Pelosi’s visit, those countries played dumb & did not say a word.
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 5, 2022
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
US warns mistakes could lead to conflict
The United States has condemned China’s launch of 11 ballistic missiles around Taiwan during major military drills as an overreaction to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, urging Beijing to reduce tensions.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said:
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.
The temperature’s pretty high,” but tensions “can come down very easily by just having the Chinese stop these very aggressive military drills,” he added.
In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Kirby said: “We’ve been watching this very, very closely.”
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.”
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Washington had contacted Beijing “at every level of government” in recent days to call for calm and stability.
I hope very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity,” Blinken told ministers from the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) in Phnom Penh.
Updated
Chinese missiles ‘impacts our national security’: Japan PM
Japan’s prime minister has condemned China’s firing of ballistic missiles during military drills around Taiwan, calling them a “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens”.
Five Chinese missiles appear to have fallen in the country’s exclusive economic zone, Tokyo has said, with four of those believed to have flown over Taiwan’s main island.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after meeting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning:
China’s actions this time around have a serious impact on the peace and stability of our region and the international community.
I told her that we have called for the immediate cancellation of the military drills.”
Pelosi is in Tokyo for the final leg of an Asian tour that included a stop in Taiwan, infuriating Beijing, which has launched its largest-ever military drills around the self-ruled island in response.
Tokyo has lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over the military exercises, which began on Thursday.
Parts of Japan’s southernmost Okinawa region are close to Taiwan, as are islets at the centre of a long-running dispute between Tokyo and Beijing.
Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles from its coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters.
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome back 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 9am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
- 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.
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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.
