SEOUL, Nov 7 (Reuters) – North Korea’s military said on Monday that recent South Korea-U.S. military exercises were an “open provocation and dangerous war drill”, as the South said it had recovered parts of a North Korean missile that landed off its coast.
Last week, North Korea test-fired multiple missiles, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and hundreds of artillery shells into the sea, as South Korea and the United States carried out six-day air drills that ended on Saturday.
The North’s military said the “Vigilant Storm” exercises were an “open provocation aimed at intentionally escalating the tension” and “a dangerous war drill of very high aggressive nature”.
The North’s army said it had conducted activities simulating attacks on air bases and aircraft, as well as a major South Korean city, to “smash the enemies’ persistent war hysteria”
The flurry of missile launches included the most ever in a single day, and come amid a record year of missile testing by the nuclear-armed North Korea.
South Korean and U.S. officials have also said that Pyongyang has made technical preparations to test a nuclear device, the first time it will have done so since 2017.
An official at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday that a South Korean ship had recovered debris believed to be part of a North Korean short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) that landed off the South’s coast last week. It was the first time a North Korean ballistic missile had landed near South Korean waters.
The South Korean Navy rescue vessel used an underwater probe to recover the parts, which are being analysed, the official said.
DISPUTED CLAIMS
The North Korean military said it fired two “strategic” cruise missiles on Nov. 2 toward the waters off South Korea’s Ulsan, the southeastern coastal city housing a nuclear power plant and large factory parks.
South Korean officials called that claim “untrue” and said they had tracked no missiles near there.
Analysts said some of the photos released by North Korean state media seemed to be recycled from launches earlier in the year.
The operations also included a launch of two “tactical ballistic missiles loaded with dispersion warheads,” a test of a “special functional warhead paralysing the operation command system of the enemy,” and an “all-out combat sortie” involving 500 fighter jets, according to a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Five hundred fighters would represents almost every dedicated combat aircraft in the North’s inventory, which seems unlikely given many are 40-80 year old airframes and not all are serviceable or kept in the active fleet, said Joseph Dempsey, a defence researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“(The) 500 figure seems exaggerated or at least misleading,” he said in a post on Twitter.
The General Staff of the North’s Korean People’s Army (KPA) accused Seoul and Washington of eliciting a “more unstable confrontation,” and vowed to counter their drills with “sustained, resolute and overwhelming practical military measures.”
“The more persistently the enemies’ provocative military moves continue, the more thoroughly and mercilessly the KPA will counter them,” it said in the statement.
NEW MISSILE?
The photos released by state media appeared to show a previously unreported new type or variant of ICBM, analysts said.
“It’s not explicit in their statement, but the design doesn’t correspond to one we’ve seen before,” said Ankit Panda, a missile expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
He said the launch shown may have been a developmental platform for evaluating missile subsystems, including possibly a vehicle for multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), which allow a single missile to drop nuclear warheads on different targets.
“This is definitely an ICBM-size missile,” Panda said.
George William Herbert, an adjunct professor at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies and a missile consultant said the images showed what appeared to be a new nosecone on North Korea’s Hwasong-15 ICBM, which was first tested in 2017.
The nosecone has a different shape, and appears larger than necessary for the 200- to 300-kiloton nuclear device shown in state media and apparently tested in 2017, he said.
Herbert said the shape is more suited for a single large warhead than multiple smaller warheads such as a MIRV.
Kim has called for the development of both larger nuclear warheads, as well as smaller ones, which could be used in MIRVs or for tactical weapons.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft and Gerry Doyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, U.S., August 2, 2017. U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Ian Dudley/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
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WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) – The United States military on Tuesday said it carried out a test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile that had been delayed to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing during China’s show of force near Taiwan earlier this month.
China deployed scores of planes and fired live missiles in the Taiwan Strait after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a trip to the self-ruled island. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.
The test showed “the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” a U.S. military statement said.
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The re-entry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles (6760 km) and was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The military said about 300 such tests have been carried out previously and that it was not the result of any specific global event.
The test suggests that Washington is less worried about the situation escalating around Taiwan in the short-term at least.
President Joe Biden’s administration has said that it would continue to carry out routine air and naval operations in the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks.
China’s military said it carried out more exercises near Taiwan on Monday as a group of U.S. lawmakers visited the Chinese-claimed island and met President Tsai Ing-wen, who said her government was committed to maintaining stability.
The U.S. military also canceled a test of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in April. That delay had aimed to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The nuclear-capable Minuteman III, made by Boeing Co. (BA.N), is key to the U.S. military’s strategic arsenal. The missile has a range of 6,000-plus miles (9,660-plus kms) and can travel at a speed of approximately 15,000 miles per hour (24,000 kph).
Missiles are dispersed in hardened underground silos operated by launch crews.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February that his nation’s nuclear forces should be put on high alert, raising fears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war. But U.S. officials have said they have seen no reason so far to change Washington’s nuclear alert levels.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest arsenals of nuclear warheads after the Cold War that divided the world for much of the 20th century, pitting the West against the Soviet Union and its allies.
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Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Peter Graff
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Idrees Ali
Thomson Reuters
National security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have. Has reported from over two dozen countries to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and much of the Middle East, Asia and Europe. From Karachi, Pakistan.
China stages drills near Taiwan as U.S. lawmakers visit
China shows images of Taiwan’s strategic Penghu Islands
Taiwan president: committed to maintaining stability
BEIJING/TAIPEI, Aug 15 (Reuters) – China’s military said it carried out more exercises near Taiwan on Monday as a group of U.S. lawmakers visited the Chinese-claimed island and met President Tsai Ing-wen, who said her government was committed to maintaining stability.
The five U.S. lawmakers, led by Senator Ed Markey, arrived in Taipei on an unannounced visit late on Sunday, the second high-level group to visit following that of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in early August, which set off several days of Chinese war games.
The Chinese military unit responsible for the area adjacent to Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command, said it had organised multi-service joint combat readiness patrols and combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan on Monday.
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The exercises were “a stern deterrent to the United States and Taiwan continuing to play political tricks and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, it added.
China’s Defence Ministry said in a separate statement that the lawmakers’ trip infringed on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and “fully exposes the true face of the United States as a spoiler and spoiler of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army continues to train and prepare for war, resolutely defends national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will resolutely crush any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatism and foreign interference.”
The theatre command said the exercises took place near Taiwan’s Penghu islands, which are in the Taiwan Strait and are home to a major air base, and showed close up video of the islands taken by a Chinese air force aircraft.
Tsai, meeting the lawmakers in her office, said China’s exercises had greatly affected regional peace and stability.
“We are engaging in close cooperation with international allies to closely monitor the military situation. At the same time we are doing everything we can to let the world know that Taiwan is determined to safeguard stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait,” she said, in video footage provided by the presidential office.
Markey told Tsai that “we have a moral obligation” to do everything to prevent an unnecessary conflict.
“Taiwan has demonstrated incredible restraint and discretion during challenging times,” he added.
Amphibious armoured vehicles under Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command take part in an assault wave formation training exercise in Zhangzhou, Fujian province, China August 14, 2022. cnsphoto via REUTERS
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Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said 15 Chinese aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday, an unofficial barrier between the two, adding it condemned China’s new drills and would “calmly” face them.
LOW KEY
Pelosi’s visit infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, and ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington, including theatre military talks and on climate change.
However, this trip was much more low key than Pelosi’s, with Tsai’s meeting with the lawmakers not carried live on her social media pages, which is the general practice when high-level foreign guests come.
The group left Taiwan late on Monday afternoon, and only after then did the presidential office release footage of the meeting with Tsai.
It was not immediately clear where they were going.
The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said they had also met Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and members of Taiwan’s parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee.
“Authoritarian China can’t dictate how democratic Taiwan makes friends,” Wu said on Twitter of their meeting.
The United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the democratically governed island with the means to defend itself.
China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan’s government says the People’s Republic of China has never ruled the island and so has no right to claim it, and that only its 23 million people can decide their future.
Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang said they would not be deterred by China’s response to such visits by foreign friends.
“We can’t just do nothing because there is an evil neighbour next door, and not dare to let visitors or friends come,” he told reporters.
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Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Robert Birsel and Raissa Kasolowsky
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
TAIPEI, Aug 9 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that China was using the military drills it launched in protest against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit as a game-plan to prepare for an invasion of the self-ruled island.
Joseph Wu, speaking at a press conference in Taipei, offered no time-table for a possible invasion of Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its own.
He said Taiwan would not be intimidated even as the drills continued with China often breaching the unofficial median line down the Taiwan Strait.
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“China has used the drills in its military play-book to prepare for the invasion of Taiwan,” Wu said.
“It is conducting large-scale military exercises and missile launches, as well as cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic coercion, in an attempt to weaken public morale in Taiwan.
“After the drills conclude, China may try to routinise its action in an attempt to wreck the long-term status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” Wu said.
Such moves threatened regional security and provided “a clear image of China’s geostrategic ambitions beyond Taiwan”, Wu said, urging greater international support to stop China effectively controlling the strait.
A Pentagon official said on Monday that Washington was sticking to its assessment that China would not try to invade Taiwan for the next two years. read more
Wu spoke as military tensions simmer after the scheduled end on Sunday of four days of the largest-ever Chinese exercises surrounding the island – drills that included ballistic missile launches and simulated sea and air attacks in the skies and seas surrounding Taiwan.
China’s Eastern Theatre Command announced on Monday that it would conduct fresh joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations – confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would keep up the pressure on Taiwan’s defences.
A person familiar with security planning in the areas around Taiwan described to Reuters on Tuesday a continuing “standoff” around the median line involving about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan.
“China continued to try to press in to the median line,” the person said. “Taiwan forces there have been trying to keep the international waterways open.”
As Pelosi left the region last Friday, China also ditched some lines of communication with the United States, including theatre level military talks and discussions on climate change.
Taiwan started its own long-scheduled drills on Tuesday, firing howitzer artillery out to sea in the southern county of Pingtung.
U.S. President Joe Biden, in his first public comments on the issue since Pelosi’s visit, said on Monday he was concerned about China’s actions in the region but he was not worried about Taiwan. read more
“I’m concerned they are moving as much as they are,” Biden told reporters in Delaware, referring to China. “But I don’t think they’re going to do anything more than they are.”
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl also said the U.S. military would continue to carry out voyages through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks.
China has never ruled out taking Taiwan by force and on Monday Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that China was conducting normal military exercises “in our waters” in an open, transparent and professional way, adding Taiwan was part of China.
Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the island’s future.
(This story was refiled to fix typo in para 10)
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Reporting by Sarah Wu and Yimou Lee in Taipei; Writing by Greg Torode, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
TAIPEI, Aug 8 (Reuters) – China’s military announced fresh military drills on Monday in the seas and airspace around Taiwan – a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises to protest against last week’s visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
China’s Eastern Theatre Command said it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations – confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwan’s defences.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week infuriated China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington.
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The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.
Shortly before the latest drills were announced, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, telling him she was moved by his determination to visit despite China’s military pressure. read more
“Prime Minister Gonsalves has expressed in recent days that the Chinese military drills would not prevent him from visiting friends in Taiwan. These statements have deeply touched us,” Tsai said at a welcome ceremony for Gonsalves in Taipei.
It was unclear if Tsai had invited Gonsalves before or after Pelosi’s visit. “We don’t disclose internal planning or communications between governments,” the Taiwanese foreign ministry said when asked by Reuters.
Beyond the firing of 11 short-range ballistic missiles during the four earlier days of exercises, Chinese warships, fighter jets and drones manoeuvred extensively around the island.
Shortly before those drills ended on Sunday, about 10 warships each from China and Taiwan manoeuvred at close quarters around the unofficial median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a person familiar with the situation who is involved with security planning.
MILITARY TALKS SHELVED
Taiwan’s defence ministry said Chinese military ships, aircraft, and drones had simulated attacks on the island and its navy. It said it had sent aircraft and ships to react “appropriately”.
China’s defence ministry meanwhile maintained its diplomatic pressure on the United States, defending its shelving of military-to-military talks in protest at Pelosi’s visit.
“The current tense situation in the Taiwan Strait is entirely provoked and created by the U.S. side on its own initiative, and the U.S. side must bear full responsibility and serious consequences for this,” defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in an online post.
“The bottom line cannot be broken, and communication requires sincerity,” Wu said.
China called off formal talks involving theatre-level commands, defence policy co-ordination and military maritime consultations on Friday as Pelosi left the region.
Pentagon, State Department and White House officials condemned the move, describing it as an irresponsible over-reaction.
China’s cutting of some of its few communication links with the U.S. military raises the risk of an accidental escalation over Taiwan at a critical moment, according to security analysts and diplomats. read more
One U.S. official noted that Chinese officials had not responded to calls from senior Pentagon officials amid the tensions last week, but that they did not see this as a formal severing of ties with senior figures, such as U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Asked directly about those reports, defence ministry spokesman Wu said, “China’s relevant counter-measures are a necessary warning to the provocations of the United States and Taiwan, and a legitimate defence of national sovereignty and security”.
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Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Sarah Wu in Taipei; writing by Greg Torode. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
BEREA, Ohio — Running back Kareem Hunt was the talk of the day after sitting out team drills on Friday and Saturday in a contract stand, and asking the Browns to trade him, which they have no plans of doing, sources tell cleveland.com.
Hunt participated in individual drills, and then stood far down on the sidelines talking to his good buddy Nick Chubb while D’Ernest Johnson got some reps with the first team in a drill.
When it came time for the first set of 11-on-11s, Hunt took the second snap behind Chubb, and then went back in for the fourth and caught a screen pass from Deshaun Watson.
He also got the first three reps with the starters in their first two-minute drill of training camp, almost as if Chubb symbolically gave way to his buddy at the start of the drill.
Hunt was fined by the club for sitting out team periods on Friday and Saturday, and Kevin Stefanski made it clear that such conduct was against team rules.
“If our players are healthy, they practice,’’ he said.
After practice, Hunt ran sprints in the sweltering heat — a ‘feels-like’ temp of 98 — alongside Josh Rosen and Jacoby Brissett.
It remains to be seen where this is headed, but Hunt was all in on Sunday.
The first 2-minute drills
Day 10 of camp brought the first two-minute drills, always a crowd pleaser.
Only problem is, neither the first- or second-team offenses scored a touchdown. Both ended with Cade York field goals through the skinny uprights, one for 33 yards and the other for 35.
Jacoby Brissett and the second-team offense went first, working against the first team defense. He overthrew Anthony Schwartz deep, but found Javon Wims deep down the right side. He also hit tight end Miller Forristall with a long ball to the left. After a spike, York came on for the gametying kick with six seconds remaining and nailed it.
Deshaun Watson went second, working against the second-team defense. He hit Harrison Bryant on back-to-back passes, including a deep ball on the run. He overthrew Donovan Peoples-Jones in the end zone, and then a deep pass to Anthony Schwartz was broken up. He connected with Ja’Marcus Bradley before a throwaway to the back right on third down brought York out again with three seconds left. Once again, he made the gametying kick as time expired.
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Third-teamer Josh Dobbs was the only one to get in the end zone. Taking over with 22 seconds left and his team trailing 28-22, Dobbs hit tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden with a 30-yard TD pass in the end zone. Michael Harley caught the two-point pass. Mitchell-Paden had also punctuated Saturday’s practice with a TD in red zone drills, yelling “that’s how you end a practice!”
York, York, he’s our man
York was the camper of the day when he drilled a 45-yard field goal at the end of the practice to get the post-practice team meetings canceled.
His teammates mobbed him after the kick — there was some mild debate amongst observers about if he actually made it, but what the heck — and Wyatt Teller lifted him onto his shoulders.
“Anytime you put a young player in a competitive situation, it’s only going to help him going forward,” special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said. “The great thing about Cade is he is very confident. A lot of kickers, you have to kind of baby them a little bit and pamper them a little bit. ‘Do not hurt his psyche’ type thing.
“Cade is not like that at all. He’s only 21 years old, which is incredible. He’s very mature. He understands his craft. He is very smart. He is very confident. I think that is going to help here, especially in Cleveland.”
Cleveland Browns’ players lift up kicker Cade York after making a field that got the players out of team meetings during day 10 of training camp in Berea.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
A ‘small little crack in the bone’
Rookie receiver David Bell acknowledged what Cleveland.com has been reporting, that he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, possibly during mandatory minicamp. But he’s happy to be back after being activated off PUP on Saturday.
“I am honestly not sure [how it happened],’’ he said. “I just woke up one day and it was aching a little bit so I went in there and had to get an X-ray. The X-ray did show what happened. We got a plan together to get me back as soon as possible. It was frustrating because I just wanted to be out there to show what I can do, but it is God’s plan and God’s timing. I am out here right now, and that is what I am looking forward to.”
Don’t call him just a returner
Pro Bowl returner Jakeem Grant, who stands only 5-6, has been beating the odds his entire career, and isn’t stopping anytime soon. He’s had an excellent camp and has been used a lot at receiver, especially with all the injuries at his position. He’s made the most of his chances, and expects to do more than return punts and kicks.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “I always preach that I’m a receiver first before a returner. I’m going to continue to preach that message. I’m going to continue to work on that until I get that opportunity to have that breakout season.”
Injuries
The following players sat out Sunday with injuries: DT Sheldon Day (back), CB Shaun Jolly (groin), LB Silas Kelly (hamstring) CB Denzel Ward (foot) and WR Michael Woods II (hamstring).
They said it
Kevin Stefanski, on the distractions of Hunt’s trade request and Deshaun Watson’s ordeal: “This is normal. This is normal guys. This is NFL football. As far as I know.”
Jakeem Grant on his elusiveness strategy: “Be a jitterbug. Just not get hit. I always pride myself on you can’t hit what you can’t catch. If they can’t catch me, they can’t hit me.”
They did it
How’s this for all in? Hunt ran sprints after practice on a hot, humid day with a ‘feels-like’ temp of 98.
The Browns surprised these happy with high schoolers with jerseys after practice.
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The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese military said on Sunday around noon local time that it conducted live-fire drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan “as planned.”
“The drills focused on joint fire land strikes and long-range air strike capabilities,” the command said in a statement posted to its official account on the social media platform Weibo, without specifying whether the drills have ended.
The exercises, planned to take place in six zones around the island, began Thursday and were scheduled to last until Sunday at noon local time in Beijing, Chinese state media reported.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that as of 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, 66 Chinese warplanes and 14 Chinese vessels were detected operating around the Taiwan Strait.
Among the 22 jets entering the airspace around Taiwan, 12 crossed the median line, the statement read.
The ministry previously called the drills a “simulated attack against the main island of Taiwan and Taiwan’s naval vessels” — a slight dial-up of language from Saturday when it said that Chinese military drills around the island could be a “possible simulated attack.”
Taiwan’s military “closely monitored” the situation and deployed aircraft and vessels to “appropriately” react to Chinese military drills around the island, the Defense Ministry added. It also said drones “intruded” into outlying islands controlled by Taiwan.
China announced the drills — whose scale marks a significant escalation from past activities — within an hour of the arrival of Pelosi and a congressional delegation in Taiwan on Tuesday evening. The stop, which was expected but not announced beforehand, was part of a larger Asia tour.
Chinese officials had repeatedly warned Washington of unspecified repercussions in the lead-up to the expected trip. In addition to the drills, Beijing also launched a raft of diplomatic penalties, including canceling future phone calls between Chinese and US defense leaders and suspending bilateral climate talks.
The Chinese Communist Party views self-governing Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has long vowed to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland — by force if necessary.
The previous days’ drills had seen a number of air and maritime operations around the island, including the launch of 11 ballistic missiles on Thursday — some of which flew over the island of Taiwan and landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. That marked the first time China had sent missiles over the island.
On Saturday, 14 vessels and 20 planes operated by the Chinese military were detected around the strait, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. Of the 20 aircraft, 14 crossed the median line, it added.
On Friday, 68 Chinese warplanes were reported in the Taiwan Strait, according to the ministry. Of those, 49 entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone — a buffer of airspace commonly referred to as an ADIZ. That was just a few planes short of the record set last year when 56 Chinese warplanes entered the ADIZ on the same day.
Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang on Sunday reiterated Taiwan’s condemnation of the drills.
“Not only Taiwan but other countries in the region as well as freedom-loving countries like the US and so on have vehemently protested and condemned China’s arrogant military operations disrupting regional peace and stability,” he said during a press engagement.
“We call on the Chinese government to not flex its military muscles and disrupt regional peace.”
A US National Security Council spokesperson on Saturday called China’s recent military activities around Taiwan 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 long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
US allies have also come forward to condemn China’s actions, including in a joint statement issued Friday by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa following their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Cambodia.
The diplomats “condemned (China’s) launch of ballistic missiles,” including those the Japanese government said landed in its exclusive economic zone, for “raising tension and destabilizing the region,” and called on China “to immediately cease the military exercises,” according to the statement released by the US State Department.
China hit back on Saturday evening, with its embassy in Australia calling the US “the biggest saboteur and destabilizer of peace in the Taiwan Strait” and disputing the “legal basis” for Japan’s claims regarding the missile landings.
“China is the victim of political provocation from the US. The actions taken by the Chinese government to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and curb the separatist activities are legitimate and justified,” a statement from the embassy read.
CNN’s Gladys Tsai and Arlette Saenz contributed to this report.
China has announced additional live-fire drills in the Bohai and Yellow Seas, as Beijing broadcasts its fury over a visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with military exercises near the island.
China’s Ministry of Defense did not announce the purpose of the expanded exercises, which come as the visit frayed U.S.-China relations, but they come as Beijing is putting on its greatest show of force around Taiwan since the last cross-strait crisis of 1995 to 1996 — in what it calls a warning to “provocateurs” who challenge Beijing’s claims over Taiwan, the self-governing democracy of 23 million.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration on Saturday announced five exclusion zones in the Yellow Sea where exercises would take place from Aug. 5 to 15, as well as an additional four zones in the Bohai Sea where a month of unspecified Chinese military operations would take place from Aug 8.
Although China officially seeks what it calls “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan — which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party — it also consistently threatens to take the island by force if the government in Taipei declares formal independence.
From the one-China policy to the Taiwan Relations Act, here’s what to know
Diplomatic fallout from visit escalated sharply on Friday when Beijing imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her immediate family, canceled military dialogues and suspended climate talks and other bilateral cooperation on issues including transnational crime.
The White House summoned Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang over “irresponsible” military actions, including firing missiles into the waters around Taiwan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the drills an “extreme, disproportionate and escalatory military response.”
White House summons Chinese ambassador as crisis escalates
But China has shown no sign of slowing the pace of military drills. The Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday said it would continue joint air and navy exercises in the areas around Taiwan as planned, focusing on long-distance strikes against targets in the sky.
After a record number of Chinese warplanes flew close to Taiwan’s airspace on Friday, 14 jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as 14 Chinese warships were active nearby. Three years ago, crossings of the informal boundary that divides the waterway were unheard off.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry described Chinese drills on Saturday morning as a “simulated attack on Taiwan’s main island.”
Taiwan has also reported drones and unidentified objects flying over Kinmen and Matsu, two Taiwan-ruled islands closest to the coast of China’s Fujian province. The Kinmen Defense Command on Saturday fired warning flares at three drones that flew above its restricted waters.
Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA-affiliated National Defense University, told state broadcaster China Central Television in an interview published on Sunday that the drills aimed to “completely smash the so-called median line” and demonstrate China’s ability to prevent foreign intervention in a conflict by blockading and controlling the Bashi Channel, an important waterway between the western Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
Military analysts have said the Chinese live-fire drills that started on Thursday and took place on all sides of Taiwan simulate a potential blockade of the island, but Taiwan’s government has said that disruption to shipping routes and flights has so far been limited.
Pelosi ended the congressional delegation’s Asia tour on Friday by vowing that China would not succeed in isolating Taiwan.
The Chinese Communist Party has for decades pursued a global pressure campaign to diplomatically isolate Taiwan’s democratically elected government by poaching its diplomatic partners and fiercely opposing exchanges between Taipei and foreign officials.
Pelosi’s Taiwan visit ushers in new phase of China’s pressure campaign
China accuses the United States of hollowing out its “one China” policy — which neither challenges nor endorses Beijing’s claims over the island — with steps to shore up its unofficial relationship with Taiwan including the first House Speaker visit in 25 years. The White House maintains the policy is unchanged.
Despite the unprecedented military pressure, the Taiwanese public has remained largely calm in the face of intensifying Chinese threats. President Tsai Ing-wen said Thursday, “We are calm and will not act in haste. We are rational and will not act to provoke.”
Annual drills by the Taiwanese military conducted the week before Pelosi’s visit were not altered despite increasingly angry warnings from Beijing. As drills started, local media reported that tourists visiting Xiaoliuqiu, a small island off the southwest coast of mainland Taiwan, flocked to the shore to see if they could catch a glimpse of Chinese missiles landing in nearby waters.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange had recovered from a brief midweek dip by Friday.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
