COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A Chinese navy ship at the center of a diplomatic spat docked in a southern port in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, marking a small triumph for Beijing over India and the United States.
The Yuan Wang 5 arrived before 8 a.m. on Tuesday and will stay for three days, according to the Hambantota International Port Group. The ship, which reportedly carried 2,000 sailors, was welcomed in a traditional Sri Lankan ceremony attended by Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong and Sri Lankan lawmakers. Footage from the event showed the dignitaries sitting on a red carpet in front of the docked Chinese military vessel while its crew held a massive red banner along a deck that read: “Hello Sri Lanka, Long Live Sri Lanka — China Friendship.”
Indian and U.S. officials had raised concerns about the political optics of a Chinese navy vessel docking at Hambantota International Port, which the Sri Lankan government leased to state-owned China Merchants Port Holdings in 2017 after Sri Lanka failed to repay debts to China. The port’s transfer was condemned by the United States as a prime example of China’s harmful lending practices and its growing influence over the island nation — allegations that China has vehemently denied.
The port is also seen as a potential strategic foothold for the Chinese navy to project power into the Indian Ocean and Middle East. India has warned in recent weeks that the Yuan Wang 5, a space-tracking ship that is reportedly unarmed but outfitted with advanced sensors, could spy on Indian defense installations. India said it would take necessary countermeasures to safeguard national security.
Indian officials have also argued that New Delhi extended substantial financial assistance this year to Sri Lanka — about $4 billion — as the Sri Lankan economy entered free fall. They said Sri Lanka should refuse the Chinese vessel entry to a politically sensitive port so close to India. The bankrupt island nation, which is seeking to restructure its debts, counts China and India among its creditors.
“When a small, bankrupt nation like Sri Lanka delivers a diplomatic slap to New Delhi by hosting a Chinese surveillance ship at its commercial port of Hambantota, it is a stunning reminder of both India’s feckless foreign policy and receding influence in its strategic backyard,” Brahma Chellaney, a former member of India’s national security advisory board, said Tuesday on Twitter.
On Monday, less than a day before the Chinese ship pulled into Hambantota, the Indian military gave two surveillance planes to Sri Lanka as a gesture of friendship.
Under pressure from India, Sri Lanka asked China last week to defer the vessel’s arrival. Beijing responded angrily and accused other countries of meddling in its dealings with Sri Lanka.
Senior Sri Lankan officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private talks between governments, said Tuesday that the Chinese were “unrelenting in their insistence” that the ship dock. The Yuan Wang 5 was originally scheduled to arrive on Aug. 11 but was delayed while Sri Lankan officials negotiated with the various governments.
The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sri Lanka had “engaged in extensive consultations at a high level through diplomatic channels with all parties concerned” before granting final clearance.
Dayan Jayatilleka, a former Sri Lankan ambassador to Russia, said Sri Lanka could expect an angry reaction from the Indian government, which has long suspected that the Hambantota port could eventually be used by China for civilian and military purposes.
The arrival of a Chinese military vessel “cannot escape a response from the other superpower in the region,” he said. “There will be a response from India, which can be going back on the economic assistance given to Sri Lanka, or something more assertive.”
COLOMBO, Aug 16 (Reuters) – The Chinese survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 docked on Tuesday at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-built port of Hambantota, a port official said, a move likely to stoke concern in neighbouring India about the growing influence of its bigger and more powerful rival.
The movements of the ship have fuelled contention between India and China, two of Sri Lanka’s biggest allies in its current economic crisis, as India fears China could use the port, near the main Asia-Europe shipping route, as a military base.
“The vessel will be berthed for three days,” the official, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media, told Reuters from the southern port.
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“The purpose of staying at the port is to stock up on fuel, food and other essentials.”
Hours after the ship docked, a Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman said the island nation was working to ensure there was no friction between friendly countries.
“Even before this, there have been ships from the United States, India and other countries coming to Sri Lanka,” Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana told reporters.
“We have allowed these ships to come. In the same way, we have allowed the Chinese ship to dock.”
Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China’s latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
The Pentagon says the Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army.
On Saturday, Sri Lanka said it had agreed the vessel could dock at Hambantota, despite security concerns raised by India and the United States. read more
India has rejected claims that it has put pressure on Sri Lanka to turn the vessel away.
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Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe in Colombo, writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Clarence Fernandez
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
China has introduced rules that aim to govern how technology platforms use recommendation algorithms. It is part of a broader push from Beijing to more closely regulate China’s domestic technology sector.
Thomas White | Reuters
Chinese technology giants shared details of their prized algorithms with the country’s regulators in an unprecedented move, as Beijing looks for more oversight over its domestic internet sector.
The Cyberspace Administration of China, one of the country’s most powerful regulators, released a list on Friday of 30 algorithms alongside a brief description of their purpose from companies including e-commerce firm Alibaba and gaming giant Tencent.
It comes after China brought in a law in March governing the way tech firms use recommendation algorithms. The rules include allowing users to opt out of recommendation algorithms, as well as requiring companies to obtain a license to provide news services.
Algorithms are the secret sauce behind the success of many of China’s technology companies. They can be used to target users with products or videos based on information about that customer.
But during the past nearly two years, Beijing has tightened regulation on China’s technology sector in areas from data protection to antitrust in a bid to rein in the power of the country’s giants that have grown, largely unencumbered, over a few years.
The March law also requires companies to file details of the algorithms with the cyberspace regulator.
Details are thin in the public filing. For example, the algorithm made by ByteDance for Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, is used for recommending graphics, videos, products and services that may be of interest to users through behavioral data such as clicks and likes, according to the CAC filing.
The algorithm for Taobao, Alibaba’s Chinese marketplace, is used for content recommendation on the homepage and other parts of the app through a user’s historical search data, the filing says.
While the public filing from the CAC keeps things brief, it’s unclear how much insight the regulator had into the inner workings behind the algorithms from the technology companies.
CNBC has reached out to Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, ByteDance and NetEase for comment.
China’s move to create a registration system for algorithms is unprecedented. The U.S. and European Union have yet to introduce anything like the law seen in China, although European lawmakers are currently debating rules around the use of artificial intelligence.
China’s economy unexpectedly slowed in July, with factory and retail activity squeezed by Beijing’s zero-Covid policy and a property crisis, while the central bank surprised markets by cutting key lending rates to revive demand.
July’s industrial output grew 3.8% from a year earlier, slightly down from 3.9% in June, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. That compared with a 4.6% increase expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.
Retail sales, which only turned positive in June, rose 2.7% from a year ago, greatly missing analysts’ forecast for 5% growth and below the 3.1% growth seen in June.
The world’s second-biggest economy narrowly escaped a contraction in the June quarter, hobbled by the lockdown of the commercial hub of Shanghai, a deepening downturn in the property market and persistently soft consumer spending.
However, risks to growth abound as many Chinese cities, including manufacturing hubs and popular tourist spots, imposed lockdown measures in July after fresh outbreaks of the more transmissible Omicron variant were found.
“The risk of stagflation in the world economy is rising, and the foundation for domestic economic recovery is not yet solid,” the NBS warned in a statement.
The property sector, which has been further rocked by a mortgage boycott that weighed on buyers’ sentiment, deteriorated in July. Property investment tumbled 12.3% in July, the fastest rate this year, while the drop in new sales deepened to 28.9%.
Chinese policymakers are trying balance shoring up a fragile recovery and eradicating emerging Covid clusters, with the economy expected to miss its official growth target this year – set at about 5.5% – for the first time since 2015.
“All economic data disappointed in July, with the exception being exports. Loan demand from the real economy remained weak, suggesting cautious outlook for the months ahead,” said Nie Wen, a Shanghai-based economist at Hwabao Trust, adding that Covid outbreaks and the heatwaves in July weighed on activity.
“Now it is looking increasingly challenging to even achieve the 5-5.5% growth in the second half.”
The employment situation remained fragile. The nationwide survey-based jobless rate eased slightly to 5.4% in July from 5.5% in June, although youth unemployment stayed stubbornly high, reaching a record 19.9% in July.
In order to prop up growth, the central bank on Monday unexpectedly lowered interest rates on key lending facilities for the second time this year. New yuan loans tumbled by more than expected in July as companies and consumers stayed wary of taking on debt, data showed on Friday.
Wang Jun, economist at Zhongyuan Bank, believe authorities will focus on implementing existing policies, rather than roll out aggressive new stimulus.
“We are now facing a typical liquidity trap problem. No matter how loose the credit supply is, companies and consumers are cautious in taking on more debt,” Wang said. “Some of them are now even paying back their debt in advance. This may herald a recession.”
Fixed asset investment, which Beijing had hoped would drive growth in the second half as exports soften, grew 5.7% in the first seven months of the year from the same period a year earlier, versus a forecast 6.2% rise and down from a 6.1% jump in January-June.
Sri Lanka confirms the Yuan Wang 5 ship will arrive next week, despite concerns raised by neighbouring India.
Sri Lanka says it has granted permission for a controversial Chinese research vessel to visit the island, despite security concerns raised by neighbouring India.
The Yuan Wang 5 is described as a research and survey vessel by international shipping and analytics sites, but according to Indian media, it is a dual-use spy ship.
Both China and India have tried to expand their influence in Sri Lanka, which is facing its worst economic crisis in its post-independence history.
India has provided more help to Sri Lanka this year than any other nation. But it fears its bigger and more powerful rival China will use the Hambantota port near the main Asia-Europe shipping route as a military base.
The Yuan Wang 5 was initially due to arrive in a port in Hambantota on the southern coast of Sri Lanka on August 11, but will now arrive on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said.
The visit had initially been approved on July 12, a day before former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled following months of protests against the country’s economic crisis.
Rajapaksa – whose brother Mahinda borrowed heavily from China while president from 2005 to 2015 – resigned after escaping to Singapore.
Tens of thousands of protesters overran his palace and home in Colombo after accusing him of economic mismanagement that has led to acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines.
Sri Lanka leased the Hambantota deep sea port to China for 99 years for $1.12bn, less than the $1.4bn Sri Lanka paid a Chinese company to build it.
According to Indian reports, the Yuan Wang 5 could be employed for space and satellite tracking, and has specific uses in intercontinental ballistic missile launches.
India’s foreign ministry has said it will closely monitor “any bearing on India’s security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them”.
India has rejected claims that it has put pressure on Sri Lanka to turn the vessel away.
“We reject categorically the ‘insinuation’ and such statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” Arindam Bagchi, a foreign ministry spokesman, said.
In separate statements issued Friday, China Life Insurance, PetroChina, Sinopec, Aluminum Corporation of China and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical said they had notified the NYSE and applied for “voluntary delisting.”
All five companies cited “low turnover in the US” and “high administrative burden and costs” as their reason for the departure.
However, the news comes after all five were flagged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in May, according to Reuters, for failing to meet US auditing standards.
China’s securities watchdog, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said on Friday that it is aware of the situation and that “it is normal for companies to list or delist from any market.”
“We will keep in touch with foreign regulatory institutions and protect the rights of corporations and investors together,” it said.
Increasing scrutiny
The news comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission increases its scrutiny of Chinese companies’ audits.
The commission can kick companies off the stock exchange if they fail to allow US watchdogs to inspect their financial audits for three straight years. China has for years rejected US audits of its firms.
Chinese companies that are traded overseas are required to hold their audit papers in mainland China, where they cannot be examined by foreign agencies.
But in April, China’s securities watchdog proposed changing a decade-old rule that forbids Chinese firms from sharing sensitive data and financial information with overseas regulators. The amendment could allow US regulators to inspect audit reports of Chinese companies listed in New York.
Nevertheless, companies like Alibaba are taking steps to prepare for a potential loss of direct access to the US capital market.
In late July, the Securities and Exchange Commission added Alibaba to a list of more than 150 companies that could face expulsion if their audits could not be inspected in the next three years, joining some of China’s largest companies like JD.com and Baidu.
Even before the commission added Alibaba to its watch list, the company announced it would seek a primary listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Currently, Alibaba has a secondary listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
“A primary listing status in Hong Kong gives Chinese ADRs (American Depository Shares) an optionality to diversify their listing risk and retain access to the public equity market” if they are forced to leave the United States, said Goldman Sachs analysts in a recent report.
If the transition goes smoothly for Alibaba it could “set the path” for many more Chinese ADRs to pursue a similar switch, Citi analysts said.
SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Five Chinese state-owned firms including China Life Insurance (601628.SS) and oil giant Sinopec (600028.SS) said Friday they would delist from the New York Stock Exchange, amid heightened diplomatic and economic tensions with the United States.
The companies, which also include Aluminium Corporation of China (Chalco) (601600.SS), PetroChina (601857.SS) and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co (600688.SS), said in separate statements that they would apply for delistings of their American Depository Shares from later this month.
The five, which were added to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA) list in May after they were identified as not meeting U.S regulators’ auditing standards, will keep their listings in Hong Kong and mainland Chinese markets.
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There was no mention of the auditing row in separate statements by the Chinese companies outlining their moves, which come amid heightened tensions after last week’s visit to Taiwan by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Beijing and Washington have been in talks to resolve a long-running dispute that could mean Chinese firms being kicked off U.S. exchanges if they do not comply with U.S. audit rules.
“These companies have strictly complied with the rules and regulatory requirements of the U.S. capital market since their listing in the U.S. and made the delisting choice for their own business considerations,” the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said in a statement.
Some of China’s largest companies including Alibaba Group Holdings , J.D Com Inc and Baidu Inc are among almost 270 on the list and at threat of being delisted.
Alibaba said last week it would convert its Hong Kong secondary listing into a dual primary listing which analysts indicated could ease the way for the Chinese ecommerce giant to switch primary listing venues in the future. read more
In premarket trade Friday, U.S.-listed shares of China Life Insurance and oil giant Sinopec fell 5.7% about 4.3% respectively. Aluminium Corporation of China dropped 1.7%, while PetroChina shed 4.3%. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co shed 4.1%.
“China is sending a message that its patience is wearing thin in the audit talks,” said Kai Zhan, senior counsel at Chinese law firm Yuanda, who specialises in areas including U.S. capital markets and U.S. sanction compliance.
Washington has long demanded complete access to the books of U.S.-listed Chinese companies, but Beijing bars foreign inspection of audit documents from local accounting firms, citing national security concerns.
The companies said their U.S. traded share volume was small compared with those on their other major listing venues.
PetroChina said it had never raised follow-on capital from its U.S listing and its Hong Kong and Shangai bases “can satisfy the company’s fundraising requirements” as well as providing “better protection of the interests of the investors.”
China Life and Chalco said they would file for delisting on Aug. 22, with it taking effect 10 days later. Sinopec and PetroChina said their applications would be made on Aug. 29.
China Telecom (0728.HK), China Mobile (0941.HK) and China Unicom (0762.HK) were delisted from the United States in 2021 after a Trump-era decision to restrict investment in Chinese technology firms. That ruling has been left unchanged by the Biden administration amid continuing tensions.
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Reporting by Samuel Shen in Shanghai, Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson, David Goodman and Alexander Smith
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
NEW DELHI — The Chinese navy ship is reportedly unarmed. It’s probably cruising somewhere in the Indian Ocean. And no one is even sure where it will go.
But for the past week, a 730-foot-long Chinese satellite-tracking vessel has been the source of rising tensions and a symbol of the mounting geopolitical tug-of-war between India and the United States and China over Sri Lanka at a time when the economically devastated island nation is caught between major financial supporters.
Since July, the Yuan Wang 5 has been sailing from China to Hambantota port on the southern tip of Sri Lanka after Sri Lankan officials approved a stop there for “replenishment.” But Indian and U.S. officials have strongly pressured the Sri Lanka government to revoke access to the port, infuriating their Chinese counterparts.
Caught in the middle, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that it formally requested China to postpone the visit while adding it “wished to reaffirm the enduring friendship and excellent relations between Sri Lanka and China.” Sri Lankan media reported Thursday that the ship had reduced speed and turned around, only to make another U-turn at sea and continue toward the island.
As of Thursday — when the Yuan Wang 5 was originally scheduled to arrive — Sri Lankan officials were still locked in negotiations with the Chinese about whether and when to let the ship dock, said a senior official at the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry with direct knowledge of the discussions. Indian, Chinese and American officials have all been intensely lobbying behind the scenes, said the Sri Lankan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private talks between governments.
While a Chinese navy ship arriving at Hambantota is not strategically significant, Indian and U.S. officials argue that it would be viewed as Sri Lanka giving special treatment to China, a major creditor, at a time when the embattled government in Colombo needs to renegotiate its debt with a host of international lenders and obtain a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. As Sri Lanka’s economy entered free fall this year, India, which sees South Asia as its traditional sphere of influence and is seeking to reverse China’s growing role there, extended the island $4 billion in loans to buy emergency fuel.
After ousting leader, Sri Lanka still staggered by one-two economic punch
Then there is the history of the port itself. China, which financed and built it for Sri Lanka in 2012, took control of the facility on a 99-year lease in 2017 after Sri Lanka struggled to repay its debts, spurring accusations from the Trump administration that Beijing engaged in predatory lending with its globe-spanning Belt and Road infrastructure program.
This week, China indirectly accused India of “gross interference” in its affairs and dismissed its complaints that sensors onboard the Yuan Wang 5 could be used to peer inside India.
“It is unreasonable for a third party to put pressure on Sri Lanka on the grounds of so-called security concerns,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing.
The dispute reflects the jockeying between the United States and its partners and China that is taking place across the world. Since taking office, President Biden has ramped up previous U.S. administrations’ efforts to curtail Chinese expansion into the Indian and Pacific Oceans and has rallied countries such as India and Australia to help in that effort. For its part, India has sought American help to counter China, a regional rival with which it has ongoing border disputes.
American analysts say if China were to base military vessels out of Hambantota — which it has not done so far — the People’s Liberation Army would gain a foothold in a highly strategic location close to important shipping lanes and the Persian Gulf. But analysts also say it is awkward for the United States to openly call for denying China access to its port, given that Washington has historically espoused the principle of unrestricted navigation and often irritates China with its naval maneuvers.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo declined to comment.
“U.S. ships make port calls throughout Southeast Asia and East Asia that China finds uncomfortable, and vice versa,” said Joshua T. White, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former adviser on South Asia in President Barack Obama’s National Security Council.
In recent years, White said, Washington and New Delhi have strengthened their military cooperation in the Indian Ocean with a view to countering China. On Sunday, a U.S. Navy cargo ship underwent repairs in a shipyard near Chennai, a southern Indian city near Sri Lanka. This marked the first time India allowed U.S. Navy vessels to dock for repairs, something the Pentagon has sought for years.
As the Yuan Wang 5 made its way across the Indian Ocean this week and speculation surrounding the port visit spiked, media in both India and China were awash in chest-thumping commentary.
In India, newspapers blared warnings about the vessel’s surveillance capabilities after the Indian Foreign Ministry issued a stern statement about monitoring any activity that would threaten Indian national security. Cable channels flashed the hashtag “#Chinesespyship” during news programs.
“Take Sri Lanka for example: Their debt trap has already pushed the country over the edge, but Beijing is not done yet. They’re intent on creating more trouble for the island,” Palki Sharma, anchor of the pro-government WION network, said in a prime-time monologue. “… Whether it’s humanitarian aid, whether it’s IMF bailout talks, only India has stepped up to help Sri Lanka. China has largely played spoilsport.”
The Chinese were similarly shrill, especially after Sri Lanka asked to postpone the port visit.
“India is bullying a bankrupt country,” griped the host of a popular channel on Tencent News. “Just because India gave $4 billion, they think they now call the shots. How does that amount compare to what China has given Sri Lanka over the years?”
Retired Adm. Arun Prakash, a former chief of the Indian Navy, said temperatures needed to be lowered. A dispute between India and China benefited neither country — nor Sri Lanka, he said.
“We need to respect Sri Lanka’s autonomy, particularly at this point in time when they’re on their knees,” he said. “It’s a sovereign country that can allow any ship it wants to come in. We don’t have a Monroe Doctrine in the region.”
China’s military drills ‘provocative’ and ‘irresponsible’, US says
A White House spokesperson has said China is trying to “change the status quo” through its military drills around Taiwan.
These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible, and raise the risk of miscalculation,” the spokesperson said.
They are also at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
China’s defence ministry said it had carried out military exercises as planned in the sea and airspaces to the north, south-west, and east of Taiwan, with a focus on “testing the capabilities” of its land strike and sea assault systems.
China appears set to wrap up its largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan later today.
It has deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles around Taiwan in what analysts have described as practising a blockade and ultimate invasion of the island.
Those exercises are set to wrap up Sunday, though Beijing has announced fresh drills in the Yellow Sea – located between China and the Korean peninsula – to take place until 15 August.
China’s navigational warnings and NOTAMs for military exercises around Taiwan have expired, excluding one area, and China didn’t extend those exercises as some previously thought, according to regional military analysts.
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Chinese diplomats continue in their campaign to lay the blame on the US and accuse Washington of causing chaos in the region.
She added that the US needs to stop trying to “hollow out” the one-China policy. This refers to an arrangement dating back to the 1970s that countries can maintain formal diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan, but not both.
Talking about "responsible" @StateDept, the US should have stopped #Pelosi's visit to #Taiwan and stop showing muscles at China’s doorsteps, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,…
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 6, 2022
China’s former ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, has also just posted a lengthy series of tweets in which he quotes China’s foreign minister, Yang Wi.
In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the US government, Pelosi went ahead with the visit to China’s Taiwan region.
n
This reckless move seriously undermined China’s sovereignty, seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, seriously violated the commitments by the US, seriously jeopardised peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It is only natural that China makes a firm response.
n
Our position is justified, reasonable and legal; our measures are firm, strong and measured; and our military exercises are open, transparent and professional. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as international practices.
n
They are aimed at sending a warning to the perpetrator and punishing the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces. We will firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely stop the United States’ attempt to use the Taiwan card to contain China.
n
We will firmly shatter the Taiwan authorities’ illusion to pursue Taiwan independence by soliciting the support of the US. At the same time, we are upholding the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, particularly non-interference in countries’ internal affairs.
n
This is the most important international norm enshrined in the UN Charter. If the principle of non-interference is discarded, the world will return to the law of the jungle, the UshnaShah will become even more unscrupulous in treating and bullying other countries.”
Wang Yi: In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the #Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the #US government, #Pelosi went ahead with the visit to China's #Taiwan region.
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 7, 2022
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Chinese diplomats continue in their campaign to lay the blame on the US and accuse Washington of causing chaos in the region.
China’s ambassador to Asean, Deng Xijun, has provided a summary of foreign minister Wang Yi’s press conference after attending the series of foreign ministers’ meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh.
Wang pointed out that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the US government, went ahead with the visit to China’s Taiwan region.
n
It is only natural that China makes a firm response. Our position is justified, reasonable and legal; our measures are firm, strong and measured; and our military exercises are open, transparent and professional.
n
In response to the US argument that a visit to Taiwan by the House Speaker is not without precedence, Wang stressed that the visit of then Speaker Newt Gingrich to Taiwan is a terrible mistake, and the Chinese government vehemently opposed it at the time.
n
Wang called on all parties to stay highly vigilant against the reported US expansion of military deployment in the region. The typical US playbook is to create a problem first, then use that to achieve its own objective. But in front of China, this just won’t work!”
1/5 On 5 Aug, SC&FM #WangYi held a press conference for Chinese & foreign media after attending the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh. Wang expressed his readiness to elaborate on China's position on the #Taiwan question. pic.twitter.com/XP7pyJwGpm
— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) August 7, 2022
n”,”url”:”https://twitter.com/China2ASEAN/status/1556108302375075842″,”id”:”1556108302375075842″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”5b99f600-a56e-482c-bbb4-6161799d08a4″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1659841421000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.03 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1659843119000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.31 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1659843120000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.32 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.32″,”title”:”China blames US for escalating tensions”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 7 Aug 2022 06.07 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 7 Aug 2022 03.17 BST”},{“id”:”62ef21dd8f08cf33fef36a2f”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
The Chinese embassy in Australia has this morning condemned a joint statement made by the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan and the United States that expressed concerns over China’s military drills in Taiwan.
Instead of expressing sympathy and support to the victim, the Australian side has condemned the victim along with the perpetrators. This is completely putting the cart before the horse and reversing the right from the wrong.”
It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China’s justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. We firmly oppose and sternly condemn this.
The statement went on to defend the actions taken by the Chinese government as “legitimate and justified” in order to “safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and curb the separatist activities”.
The spokesperson says the one-China principle “should be strictly abided by and fully honoured. It should not be misinterpreted or compromised in practice.”
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A White House spokesperson has said China is trying to “change the status quo” through its military drills around Taiwan.
These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible, and raise the risk of miscalculation,” the spokesperson said.
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They are also at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
China’s defence ministry said it had carried out military exercises as planned in the sea and airspaces to the north, south-west, and east of Taiwan, with a focus on “testing the capabilities” of its land strike and sea assault systems.
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China’s military has pressed ahead with its largest ever military drills, targeting Taiwan with what the island’s government called a simulated attack, including further incursions over the median line and drone flights over Taiwan’s outlying islands.
On Saturday, Taiwan’s ministry of defence said it had observed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) planes and ships operating in the Taiwan strait, believing them to be simulating an attack on its main island.
“Multiple batches of Chinese communist planes and ships conducting activities around the Taiwan strait, some of which crossed the median line,” it said, referring to the unofficial border in the waters between China and Taiwan.
On Saturday, Taiwan also scrambled jets to warn away 20 Chinese aircraft, including 14 that crossed the Taiwan strait median line, according to Reuters, citing Taiwan’s defence ministry.
20 PLA aircraft (SU-30*10, J-16*4, J-11*4, Y-8 ASW and Y-20 Aerial Refueling) and 14 vessels conducted an air-sea operation on the surrounding area of R.O.C on August 6, 2022. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/Tj6C1y0WHR pic.twitter.com/apjMe6IYMn
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 6, 2022
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About 10 Chinese and Taiwanese navy boats continued to stay close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Sunday morning, a source briefed on the matter has told Reuters.
Both sides have shown restraint so far, the source familiar with the security planning in the region said, since similar navy manoeuvring on Monday near the median line separating China and Taiwan.
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Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of tensions between China and Taiwan.
Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Chinese aircraft and ships of carrying out a simulated attack on its main island on Saturday. Several batches of Chinese aircraft and ships were detected in the Taiwan Strait, 14 of which crossed the median line – an unofficial buffer separating the two sides – according to the ministry. Taiwan’s army used patrolling naval ships and put shore-based missiles on standby in response.
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The White House has condemned the escalation in military drills.“These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible, and raise the risk of miscalculation,” a spokesperson said.
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China has accused the US of interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said the US should have stopped Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week.
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The Chinese embassy warned Australia against involvement in its actions over Taiwan, saying “finger-pointing” against Beijing was unacceptable. Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, earlier condemned Beijing’s “disproportionate and destabilising” actions, saying she had expressed her concern to her Chinese counterpart at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia.
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Taiwan’s defence ministry said its naval forces were keeping tabs on China’s military vessels off the eastern coast.
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China’s People’s Liberation Army’s eastern theatre command said it continued on Saturday to conduct sea and air joint exercises north, south-west and east of Taiwan, as planned. It said its focus was on testing land strike and sea assault capabilities.
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The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said China should not hold “hostage” important global matters such as the climate crisis, after Beijing cut off contacts with Washington in retaliation for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
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Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin, the former US president, Donald Trump, questioned why Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. “What was she doing in Taiwan? She was China’s dream, she gave them an excuse. They’ve been looking for that excuse.”
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A Taiwan official who was in charge of various missile production projects was found dead on Saturday morning in a hotel room in southern Taiwan, according to the official Central News Agency. Ou Yang Li-hsing, the deputy head of the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, was 57. The cause of his death was unknown, CNA reported.
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The US, Australian and Japanese foreign ministers have urged China to immediately cease military exercises around Taiwan. In a joint statement, officials expressed their concern about China’s recent actions “that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises”. They also condemned China’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones “raising tension and destabilising the region”.
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Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said Chinese military drills near Taiwan were a threat to regional security anda “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens”.
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North Korea denounced Nancy Pelosi as “the worst destroyer of international peace and stability”, after the US House speaker expressed her commitment during a visit to South Korea to achieving the North’s denuclearisation. It also condemned her trip to Taiwan.
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BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1659838642000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”03.17 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1659838647000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”03.17 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”03.17″,”title”:”Summary and welcome”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sun 7 Aug 2022 06.07 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sun 7 Aug 2022 03.17 BST”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”format”:{“display”:0,”theme”:0,”design”:9},”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”}”>
Key events
China lifts no-go notices for drill areas – reports
China appears set to wrap up its largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan later today.
It has deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles around Taiwan in what analysts have described as practising a blockade and ultimate invasion of the island.
Those exercises are set to wrap up Sunday, though Beijing has announced fresh drills in the Yellow Sea – located between China and the Korean peninsula – to take place until 15 August.
According to some unconfirmed reports, China has lifted its no-go notices for drill areas.
China’s navigational warnings and NOTAMs for military exercises around Taiwan have expired, excluding one area, and China didn’t extend those exercises as some previously thought, according to regional military analysts.
China claims US should have stopped Pelosi’s visit
Chinese diplomats continue in their campaign to lay the blame on the US and accuse Washington of causing chaos in the region.
On Saturday, Hua Chunying, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, accused the US of interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs.
Chunying also said the US should have stopped Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week.
She added that the US needs to stop trying to “hollow out” the one-China policy. This refers to an arrangement dating back to the 1970s that countries can maintain formal diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan, but not both.
Talking about "responsible" @StateDept, the US should have stopped #Pelosi's visit to #Taiwan and stop showing muscles at China’s doorsteps, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,…
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 6, 2022
Talking about “responsible” @StateDept, the US should have stopped #Pelosi’s visit to #Taiwan and stop showing muscles at China’s doorsteps, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,…
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 6, 2022
China’s former ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, has also just posted a lengthy series of tweets in which he quotes China’s foreign minister, Yang Wi.
In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the US government, Pelosi went ahead with the visit to China’s Taiwan region.
This reckless move seriously undermined China’s sovereignty, seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, seriously violated the commitments by the US, seriously jeopardised peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It is only natural that China makes a firm response.
Our position is justified, reasonable and legal; our measures are firm, strong and measured; and our military exercises are open, transparent and professional. They are consistent with domestic and international laws, as well as international practices.
They are aimed at sending a warning to the perpetrator and punishing the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces. We will firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolutely stop the United States’ attempt to use the Taiwan card to contain China.
We will firmly shatter the Taiwan authorities’ illusion to pursue Taiwan independence by soliciting the support of the US. At the same time, we are upholding the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, particularly non-interference in countries’ internal affairs.
This is the most important international norm enshrined in the UN Charter. If the principle of non-interference is discarded, the world will return to the law of the jungle, the UshnaShah will become even more unscrupulous in treating and bullying other countries.”
Wang Yi: In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the #Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the #US government, #Pelosi went ahead with the visit to China's #Taiwan region.
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 7, 2022
Wang Yi: In total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the #Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the #US government, #Pelosi went ahead with the visit to China’s #Taiwan region.
— 刘晓明Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) August 7, 2022
Taiwan’s defence ministry says it has sent aircraft and ships to “appropriately” react to Chinese military drills around the island.
Multiple Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones continued to conduct joint drills near Taiwan on Sunday morning, simulating attacks on Taiwan and Taiwanese navy ships, the self-ruled island’s defence ministry said in a news release as reported by Reuters.
Two Taiwanese Air Force Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets fly by an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, 7 August. Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA
Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang saysChina has “arrogantly” used military actions to disrupt regional peace and stability, according to a Reuters report.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Sunday, Su also called on Beijing to not flex its military muscles, and condemned “foreign enemies” he said were attempting to sap the morale of the Taiwanese people through cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has made some rather controversial remarks in an interview with CNN.
“They’re [China] not encircling Taiwan, Taiwan is part of China, and that’s been absolutely accepted by the whole of the international community since 1948, and if you don’t know that, you’re not reading enough. Go and read about it,” the musician said.
And then there is also this perspective about #Taiwan's status out there, by musician Roger Waters, who believes that the "whole international community" have "absolutely accepted" that Taiwan is a part of #China. https://t.co/SdSZzvFf4e
And then there is also this perspective about #Taiwan’s status out there, by musician Roger Waters, who believes that the “whole international community” have “absolutely accepted” that Taiwan is a part of #China. https://t.co/SdSZzvFf4e
— William Yang (@WilliamYang120) August 7, 2022
Taiwan’s top diplomat in the US has said the self-governing island has been “bullied, marginalised and isolated from the world” for too long and maintained its people would not surrender their freedom.
In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Bi-khim Hsiao said:
For too long, Taiwan has been bullied, marginalised and isolated from the world and banned from international organisations. We don’t take our democracy for granted and we don’t take our friends for granted.
The scope and the range of the current exercises do demonstrate that this has long been in the coming. China’s escalation is unreasonable and unnecessary. We think it’s important that they understand such engagements between the people of Taiwan and the people around the world are consistent, with decades of practice.
There is no reason for them to escalate. Are we worried and concerned? Yes. That’s why we are also committed to investing in our own self-defence, in fortifying our asymmetric capabilities, in reforming our reserves, in better integrating civilian support in our homeland defence.
But I have to make clear that we don’t want war. We want peace. We will do anything we can to de-escalate. But we will not surrender our freedom.”
China and Russia have agreed to maintain “strategic coordination and deepen practical cooperation” after meeting in Cambodia on the sidelines of talks with top diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
China’s ambassador to Asean, Deng Xijun, shared a photo of China’s foreign minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, saying “both sides agreeing to maintain strategic coordination and deepen practical cooperation”.
#China's SC&FM #WangYi & #Russian FM #Lavrov met in #Cambodia on the sidelines of FMs on #EastAsia Cooperation, with both sides agreeing to maintain strategic coordination &deepen practical cooperation. pic.twitter.com/fLfdbQaz9K
— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) August 7, 2022
Chinese diplomats continue in their campaign to lay the blame on the US and accuse Washington of causing chaos in the region.
China’s ambassador to Asean, Deng Xijun, has provided a summary of foreign minister Wang Yi’s press conference after attending the series of foreign ministers’ meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh.
Wang pointed out that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in total disregard of the firm opposition and repeated representations of the Chinese side and with the condonement and even arrangement of the US government, went ahead with the visit to China’s Taiwan region.
It is only natural that China makes a firm response. Our position is justified, reasonable and legal; our measures are firm, strong and measured; and our military exercises are open, transparent and professional.
In response to the US argument that a visit to Taiwan by the House Speaker is not without precedence, Wang stressed that the visit of then Speaker Newt Gingrich to Taiwan is a terrible mistake, and the Chinese government vehemently opposed it at the time.
Wang called on all parties to stay highly vigilant against the reported US expansion of military deployment in the region. The typical US playbook is to create a problem first, then use that to achieve its own objective. But in front of China, this just won’t work!”
1/5 On 5 Aug, SC&FM #WangYi held a press conference for Chinese & foreign media after attending the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh. Wang expressed his readiness to elaborate on China's position on the #Taiwan question. pic.twitter.com/XP7pyJwGpm
— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) August 7, 2022
1/5 On 5 Aug, SC&FM #WangYi held a press conference for Chinese & foreign media after attending the series of foreign ministers’ meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh. Wang expressed his readiness to elaborate on China’s position on the #Taiwan question. pic.twitter.com/XP7pyJwGpm
— Ambassador Deng Xijun (@China2ASEAN) August 7, 2022
China warns Australia against ‘finger-pointing’
The Chinese embassy in Australia has this morning condemned a joint statement made by the foreign ministers of Australia, Japan and the United States that expressed concerns over China’s military drills in Taiwan.
The Chinese embassy in Australia released a lengthy statement saying:
Instead of expressing sympathy and support to the victim, the Australian side has condemned the victim along with the perpetrators. This is completely putting the cart before the horse and reversing the right from the wrong.”
The statement went on to say that Japan “should be the first to engage in self-reflection and discretion” for its history of colonisation in Taiwan.
“Australia should not take sides and blindly make unfair judgments that run counter to the facts.”
It is absolutely unacceptable for the finger-pointing on China’s justified actions to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. We firmly oppose and sternly condemn this.
The statement went on to defend the actions taken by the Chinese government as “legitimate and justified” in order to “safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and curb the separatist activities”.
The spokesperson says the one-China principle “should be strictly abided by and fully honoured. It should not be misinterpreted or compromised in practice.”
China’s military drills ‘provocative’ and ‘irresponsible’, US says
A White House spokesperson has said China is trying to “change the status quo” through its military drills around Taiwan.
These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible, and raise the risk of miscalculation,” the spokesperson said.
They are also at odds with our longstanding goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
China’s defence ministry said it had carried out military exercises as planned in the sea and airspaces to the north, south-west, and east of Taiwan, with a focus on “testing the capabilities” of its land strike and sea assault systems.
Taiwan accuses China of simulating an attack on island
China’s military has pressed ahead with its largest ever military drills, targeting Taiwan with what the island’s government called a simulated attack, including further incursions over the median line and drone flights over Taiwan’s outlying islands.
On Saturday, Taiwan’s ministry of defence said it had observed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) planes and ships operating in the Taiwan strait, believing them to be simulating an attack on its main island.
“Multiple batches of Chinese communist planes and ships conducting activities around the Taiwan strait, some of which crossed the median line,” it said, referring to the unofficial border in the waters between China and Taiwan.
On Saturday, Taiwan also scrambled jets to warn away 20 Chinese aircraft, including 14 that crossed the Taiwan strait median line, according to Reuters, citing Taiwan’s defence ministry.
20 PLA aircraft (SU-30*10, J-16*4, J-11*4, Y-8 ASW and Y-20 Aerial Refueling) and 14 vessels conducted an air-sea operation on the surrounding area of R.O.C on August 6, 2022. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/Tj6C1y0WHR pic.twitter.com/apjMe6IYMn
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 6, 2022
20 PLA aircraft (SU-30*10, J-16*4, J-11*4, Y-8 ASW and Y-20 Aerial Refueling) and 14 vessels conducted an air-sea operation on the surrounding area of R.O.C on August 6, 2022. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/Tj6C1y0WHR pic.twitter.com/apjMe6IYMn
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 6, 2022
Chinese boats repeatedly ‘press’ into Taiwan buffer zone – reports
About 10 Chinese and Taiwanese navy boats continued to stay close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Sunday morning, a source briefed on the matter has told Reuters.
The source added Chinese boats repeatedly “pressed” into the unofficial buffer, while Taiwan’s navy stayed close-by to monitor the movements.
Both sides have shown restraint so far, the source familiar with the security planning in the region said, since similar navy manoeuvring on Monday near the median line separating China and Taiwan.
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 10am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
Taiwan’s defence ministry accused Chinese aircraft and ships of carrying out a simulated attack on its main island on Saturday. Several batches of Chinese aircraft and ships were detected in the Taiwan Strait, 14 of which crossed the median line – an unofficial buffer separating the two sides – according to the ministry. Taiwan’s army used patrolling naval ships and put shore-based missiles on standby in response.
The White House has condemned the escalation in military drills.“These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible, and raise the risk of miscalculation,” a spokesperson said.
China has accused the US of interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said the US should have stopped Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week.
The Chinese embassy warned Australia against involvement in its actions over Taiwan, saying “finger-pointing” against Beijing was unacceptable. Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, earlier condemned Beijing’s “disproportionate and destabilising” actions, saying she had expressed her concern to her Chinese counterpart at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said its naval forces were keeping tabs on China’s military vessels off the eastern coast.
China’s People’s Liberation Army’s eastern theatre command said it continued on Saturday to conduct sea and air joint exercises north, south-west and east of Taiwan, as planned. It said its focus was on testing land strike and sea assault capabilities.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said China should not hold “hostage” important global matters such as the climate crisis, after Beijing cut off contacts with Washington in retaliation for Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Speaking at a rally in Wisconsin, the former US president, Donald Trump, questioned why Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. “What was she doing in Taiwan? She was China’s dream, she gave them an excuse. They’ve been looking for that excuse.”
A Taiwan official who was in charge of various missile production projects was found dead on Saturday morning in a hotel room in southern Taiwan, according to the official Central News Agency. Ou Yang Li-hsing, the deputy head of the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, was 57. The cause of his death was unknown, CNA reported.
The US, Australian and Japanese foreign ministers have urged China to immediately cease military exercises around Taiwan. In a joint statement, officials expressed their concern about China’s recent actions “that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises”. They also condemned China’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones “raising tension and destabilising the region”.
Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said Chinese military drills near Taiwan were a threat to regional security anda “serious problem that impacts our national security and the safety of our citizens”.
North Korea denounced Nancy Pelosi as “the worst destroyer of international peace and stability”, after the US House speaker expressed her commitment during a visit to South Korea to achieving the North’s denuclearisation. It also condemned her trip to Taiwan.
Taiwanese naval frigate Lan Yang is seen from the deck of a Chinese military ship during military exercises on Friday, 5 August. Photograph: Lin Jian/AP
Chinese and Taiwanese ships circle in high seas “cat and mouse”
Four days of Chinese drills due to end at midday
China warns U.S. not to create greater crisis
TAIPEI, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Chinese and Taiwanese warships played high-seas “cat and mouse” on Sunday, hours before the scheduled end of four days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises launched in reaction to a visit to Taiwan by the U.S. house speaker.
Nancy Pelosi’s visit last week to the self-ruled island infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over the island’s capital for the first time and the cutting of communication links with the United States.
Some 10 warships each from China and Taiwan sailed at close quarters in the Taiwan Strait, with some Chinese vessels crossing the median line, an unofficial buffer separating the two sides, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
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As Chinese forces “pressed” the line, as they did on Saturday, the Taiwan side stayed close to monitor and, where possible, deny the Chinese the ability to cross.
“The two sides are showing restraint, the person said, describing the manoeuvres as high seas “cat and mouse”.
“One side tries to cross, and the other stands in the way and forces them to a more disadvantaged position and eventually return to the other side.”
Taiwan said its shore-based anti-ship missiles and its Patriot surface -to-air-missiles were on stand-by.
The Chinese exercises, centred on six locations around the island, began on Thursday and are scheduled to last until midday on Sunday. China’s military said on Saturday it was conducting sea and air joint exercises north, southwest and east of Taiwan with a focus on testing land-strike and sea-assault capabilities.
The United States called the exercises an escalation.
“These activities are a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible and raise the risk of miscalculation,” a White House spokesperson said.
“They are also at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
‘DAMAGING PEACE’
China halted communication through various channels with the United States as part of its response to Pelosi’s visit, including between military theatre commands and on climate change.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of taking “irresponsible” steps and moving away from prioritising peaceful resolution towards the use of force. read more
A woman looks at a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flying over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland China’s closest points to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan island, Fujian province, China August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song
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Taiwan’s military on Saturday said the Chinese ships and planes taking part in the drills were conducting a simulated attack on the island that China claims as its territory.
Taiwan’s defence ministry later said its forces scrambled jets to warn away 20 Chinese aircraft, including 14 that crossed the median line. It also detected 14 Chinese ships conducting activity around the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry released a photograph showing Taiwanese sailors closely watching a nearby Chinese vessel.
Taiwan’s forces on Friday fired flares to warn away drones flying over its Kinmen islands and unidentified aircraft flying over its Matsu islands. Both island groups are close to China’s coast.
“China’s military drills have unilaterally changed the current situation in the region and seriously damaged the peace in the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry said.
‘DON’T ACT RASHLY’
Pelosi, a long-time China critic and a political ally of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrived in Taiwan late on Tuesday on the highest-level visit to the island by an American official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed unwavering U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy.
“The world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,” she said. She also stressed that her trip was “not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region”. read more
Taiwan has been self-ruled since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s communists took power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang nationalists in a civil war, prompting their retreat to the island.
China says its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and it reserves the right to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China’s claims saying only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
Speaking during a visit to the Philippines, Blinken said the United States had been hearing concern from allies about what he called China’s dangerous and destabilising actions but Washington sought to avoid escalating the situation.
He said China’s cessation of bilateral dialogue in eight key areas were moves that would punish the world.
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, told a media briefing on Friday that Blinken was spreading “misinformation”, adding: “We wish to issue a warning to the United States: Do not act rashly, do not create a greater crisis”.
China has not mentioned a suspension of military talks at the senior-most levels, such as with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. While those talks have been infrequent, officials have said they are important in the case of an emergency.
Japan’s defence ministry said last seek that five of nine missiles fired toward its territory landed in its exclusive economic zone.
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Reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei, David Brunnstrom in Manila, Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Meg Shen in Hong Kong, Jeff Mason in Washington; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo; Writing by Tony Munroe and Greg Torode; Editing by Robert Birsel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.