Missiles fired from Chinese coast amid Taiwan tensions
A senior Taiwanese defense ministry official was found dead on Saturday as the autonomous territory accused China of carrying out a “mock attack” with the country’s warships and aircraft carrying out missions in the Taiwan Strait.
Ou Yang Li-hsing, the deputy head of Taiwan’s defense ministry’s research and development unit, died of a heart attack in his hotel room on Saturday, state media reported.
The room had no signs of “trespassing” and his family had a history of heart disease, the official Central News Agency said.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry tweeted on Saturday that several Chinese vessels carried out missions in the Taiwan Strait, with some crossing the median line that is an unofficial buffer separating the two sides in what it sees as a “possible mock attack”.
The incidents come as Beijing continues its military offensive while firing multiple ballistic missiles in the direction of Taiwan, four of which flew directly over the capital Taipei.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China’s military exercises, saying there was no justification for Beijing’s “grossly disproportionate and escalating” response.
The statement came as Ms Pelosi reaffirmed US support for Taiwan, saying China will not be able to isolate the island by preventing US officials from traveling there.
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How powerful are China’s Dongfeng missiles?
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has accused China of launching 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters northeast and southwest of the island as part of aggressive military exercises aimed at an intimidating show of force.
Tensions in the region have risen sharply following a visit to Taiwan this week by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the third-in-line to the presidency and the most senior US politician to visit the country in 25 years.
Beijing urged Ms Pelosi not to pay tribute to a territory that has its own democratic political system, constitution and army but which China considers its own, warning that the trip was “playing with fire”.
After eliminating those threats and arriving in Taipei, the superpower ordered five days of live-fire exercises and warned that regional conflict could become inevitable, raising tensions with the autonomous republic to their highest levels since 1996
Taiwan’s defense ministry said its armed forces had used early warning, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to control the Dongfeng (or, DF) rockets and condemned China’s “irrational actions that undermine regional peace” .
How powerful are China’s Dongfeng missiles?
Rockets fired near Taiwanese waters as Nancy Pelosi visits ignite regional tensions
Joe SommerladAugust 4, 2022 2:05 p.m
China fires missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, says minister
China has launched five ballistic missiles into waters that Japan considers its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to Japan’s defense minister, adding that it is the first time such an incident has occurred.
Nobuo Kishi said Japan had lodged a protest through diplomatic channels.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is due to travel to Japan after visiting Taiwan and South Korea.
It was his trip to Taiwan that angered China and led Beijing to launch military exercises around Taiwan, in what could be the largest of its kind since the mid-1990s.
The five missiles that landed in Japanese territory were from those exercises, the Japan Times said
“This is a serious issue that concerns our country’s national security and people’s security,” Kishi said at a hastily arranged news conference.
China fires missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, says minister
China has launched five ballistic missiles into waters that Japan considers its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to Japan’s defense minister, adding that it is the first time such an incident has occurred.
Gustaf KilanderAugust 4, 2022 2:20 p.m
Japan’s Defense Ministry says China fired nine missiles into its territory
Japan’s Defense Ministry issued a statement on Thursday claiming that China had fired nine missiles, including five that landed in its economic exclusion zone. Four more landed outside its waters.
The Japanese government has condemned China’s actions, which come as a result of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 2:35 p.m
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defends China’s reaction to Pelosi’s trip
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that China’s reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which included military exercises and missile launches around the Taiwan Strait, was within the nation’s rights.
“This is China’s sovereign right,” Peskov said. “The tension in the region and around Taiwan was caused … by Nancy Pelosi’s visit. It was an absolutely unnecessary visit and an unnecessary provocation.”
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 3:11 p.m
The Japanese Ministry of Defense believes that some Chinese missiles were fired over Taiwan
Japan’s Defense Ministry released a map showing what it believes are the trajectories of nine Chinese missiles fired in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Five of the missiles landed in Japan’s economic exclusion zone, but the map also suggests that several missiles were fired over the island of Taiwan and, more specifically, its capital, Taipei.
Both Taiwan and Japan have denounced China’s reaction to Pelosi’s visit.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 3:37 p.m
Taiwan defense officials say Chinese jets flew through ‘middle line’ of Taiwan Strait
Defense officials in Taipei, Taiwan, have accused China of sending aircraft over the “median line” in the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial border between China and Taiwan.
On Wednesday, 22 planes buzzed the line, and another 22 did so on Thursday.
Defense officials in Taipei said they planned to increase their anti-aircraft defenses in response.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 4:31 p.m
NSC spokesman Admiral John Kirby says US is watching Chinese exercises ‘very closely’
National Security Council spokesman Admiral John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the United States was following China’s live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait “very, very closely.”
China began holding the live-fire drills as a way to express its displeasure with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Kirby laid the blame for rising tensions at the feet of China.
“The provocateur here is Beijing. They didn’t have to react this way to what is a completely normal trip by members of Congress to Taiwan … The Chinese are the ones who are escalating this,” he said.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 5:24 p.m
Taiwanese officials warn citizens not to travel to China unless ‘absolutely necessary’ after activists arrested
Taiwan officials have warned citizens not to travel to China unless “absolutely necessary” after Taiwanese pro-democracy lawyer Yang Chih-yuan was arrested by Chinese authorities for “separatism”.
He was arrested and charged on August 3.
Taiwanese officials fear that other citizens could be targeted with similar charges if they visit China.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 6:14 p.m
Biden admin delays launch of routine missile test to avoid escalating tensions with China
The Biden administration has reportedly delayed a routine test launch of a ballistic missile in California to avoid escalating tensions with China.
Beijing has held fire drills in the Taiwan Strait in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
A defense official spoke to the Wall Street Journal about the delay.
“This is a long-planned trial, but is being postponed to clear up any misunderstandings in light of the PRC. [People’s Republic of China] actions around Taiwan,” the official told the paper.
Officials said the delay could last up to 10 days.
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 6:44 p.m
A Russian politician said it would have been “good” if China had shot down Nancy Pelosi’s plane
Russian politician and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said he thought it would have been “good” if China had shot down House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plane ahead of her visit to Taiwan.
Aleksey Zhuravlyov, a Duma member and head of the nationalist Rodina party, appeared on Russian state television, where he said shooting down Pelosi’s plane would have opened a “second front” for Putin’s war efforts.
“It would be important for us if this aircraft was squeezed out [intercepted] or was shot down,” he said. “For us, opening a second front is good. It doesn’t matter what the situation is with the island [Taiwan] develops, we will win anyway. The whole world understands that the only country that can resist the US is Russia.”
Gracious GraigAugust 4, 2022 7:39 p.m
