image source,Xinhua
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the Chinese military fired 11 Dongfeng missiles on the first day of the exercises.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby criticized the Chinese military’s live-fire exercises around Taiwan as “extremely aggressive” and “irresponsible.”
Mainland China conducted the exercises over three consecutive days starting Thursday, calling it a “necessary and legitimate step to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Japan said five of the 11 Dongfeng missiles fired by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Thursday (4) landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan had asked China to stop the exercises immediately.
Taiwan’s Yuan CEO Su Chengchang described the military exercises on the Chinese mainland as an “evil neighbor who flaunts his power on our side,” and said, “Taiwan will not surrender under pressure.”
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivered a video message on social media Thursday night, calling on the international community to support Taiwan and jointly stop China’s “unilateral and irrational military actions.”
On Pingtan Island in Fujian, near Taiwan, military helicopters constantly fly overhead, and missiles can be seen flying in the air in the Taiwan Strait.
The Group of Seven, which includes the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Canada along with the European Union, issued a statement to foreign ministers concerned about China’s “coercive measures”. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the statement of “reversing right and wrong and confusing right and wrong.”
“We cannot allow the law of the jungle to dominate our inter-state relations again,” said Wang Yi, who was attending a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday night. . “I think this so-called ‘statement’ is just a piece of scrap paper. Zhang will certainly not receive the support and response of the international community.”
China’s Foreign Ministry said Vice Foreign Minister Deng Lei “received orders to urgently summon” on Thursday European countries, European Union envoys to China and Japan’s ambassador to China Tori Hideo to “make serious representations” over the G7 statement. Among them, Ding Li accused Japan of “cooperating with the G7 and the European Union to make a false statement on Taiwan, confusing right and wrong, and making a rake.”
According to Reuters, Wang Yi suddenly left the official banquet of the ASEAN meeting on Thursday night, without knowing if he had expressed his dissatisfaction with the statement issued by ASEAN and the Group of Seven criticizing China’s military exercises. In addition, Wang Yi also refused to meet with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who was present at the same meeting, and at the last moment canceled his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fang Zhenglin.
The ASEAN statement called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and urged to refrain from provocative actions, noting that recent developments may lead to miscalculation, dangerous confrontation and unexpected consequences between major powers.
Taiwan’s perspective: ‘We’ve terrified the Communist Party for 70 years’
Robert Wingfield Hayes, BBC Taiwan correspondent
image source,Environmental Protection Agency
In the Bisha fishing port, fishermen sit near the port and mend their nets. “When politicians fight, it’s always us, the little ones who suffer,” exclaimed an indignant captain.
“But what can we do? It’s too dangerous to go to sea now.”
Another, who had just returned to the port, was tying ropes. “I left the port this morning, and the Coast Guard radioed us to come back immediately,” he said.
Most people contacted by the BBC do not believe that China is preparing to attack Taiwan by force. “They are a group of troublemakers,” said a gentleman fishing from the sidewalk.
“These communists say a lot, but don’t do it. We’ve been scaring them for 70 years.”
More BBC China coverage of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
Japan joins the condemnation
image source,Kyodo / Reuters
Fumio Kishida (right) and Pelosi (left) hold a breakfast meeting in Tokyo.
Pelosi left Taipei on Wednesday (3) and moved to South Korea before arriving in Japan on Thursday night. I had breakfast with Fumio Kishida on a Friday morning.
Later, Fumio Kishida told reporters that the Chinese military exercises had a serious impact on regional peace and stability, and told Pelosi that Japan had asked China to stop the military exercises immediately.
“We affirm that Japan and the United States will continue to cooperate closely to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits,” Kishida said.
Before that, Japanese Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Kenryu Mori said the Japanese government, through diplomatic channels, lodged solemn representations to the Chinese side over the fall of five PLA missiles in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense recorded that China fired nine missiles during the first day of the exercises, which are less than the record of the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, and at least one missile flew over the island of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated that the missile’s main flight path is outside the atmosphere, and does not harm the vast land area over which it is flying. Therefore, the ground-based missile did not fall, nor did it issue. Taiwan Island Air Defense Alert.
Pelosi: I want to see peace in Taiwan
Pelosi held a press conference after her meeting with Kishida, in which she repeatedly stressed that she hopes to see peace in Taiwan and maintain the status quo.
This is Pelosi’s first comment on her Taiwan trip since leaving Taipei.
“Maybe they (China) can try to prevent Taiwan from visiting other places and participating in other activities, but they can’t isolate Taiwan by preventing us from going there,” Pelosi said.
“We’ve made a number of high-profile visits before – with bipartisan senators in the spring and continuing visits – and we won’t let them isolate Taiwan, and it’s not their turn to make our travel plans.”
Pelosi also denied her insistence on visiting Taiwan for personal achievements.
“This argument is ridiculous. It’s not for me, it’s for Taiwan. It’s to say to pay tribute to Taiwan.”
Pelosi said China “may use our visit as an excuse” to launch missiles during the exercises. Her comments echoed those of White House national security spokesman Kirby.
“Beijing’s provocation is a marked escalation and a long-term attempt to change the status quo,” Kirby said on Thursday.
Beijing chose to overreact and chose to use Zhang’s visit as an excuse to increase military provocations around the Taiwan Strait.
Kirby also said the US Air Force has postponed a test launch of the Minuteman 3 ICBM to avoid further escalation.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan: What do people think of China and Taiwan?
Wang Yi “turn away”
Wang Yi left shortly after arriving at the ASEAN Meeting Series banquet venue and did not participate in the banquet.
Wang Yi has repeatedly criticized Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in recent days. He described Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as “crazy, irresponsible and highly irrational” at a series of ASEAN meetings in Phnom Penh on Thursday.
Reuters reported that Wang Yi came to the banquet place of the ASEAN Meeting Series on Thursday evening, but left shortly after. As seen by his reporter, Cambodian authorities have already made arrangements to separate Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Blinken with 12 seats in the concave dining table seating arrangement, and Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangcheng has dismissed Wang Yi with three seats. .
“We oppose any unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo, especially the use of force. We believe with the world that escalation benefits no one and can lead to unintended consequences. For ASEAN members, the same is true,” Blinken said at the meeting. on China.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will also attend the ASEAN meeting. “The two sides must consider how they can contribute to the easing of the current tension,” she told AFP. “One of the risks that worries the region is a miscalculation.”
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