China’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior has endangered regional peace. Taiwan will defend resolutely. https://t.co/SuZzxQtUXh — Bi-khim Hsiao (@bikhim) August 4, 2022 It shared a post from Taiwan’s defense ministry in which it confirmed that its defense systems had been activated upon detecting the launch of the first Chinese missiles at 1.56pm. local time. China launched several Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters around the northeastern and southwestern coasts of Taiwan early today. The US and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, but Hsiao Bi-khim acts as Taiwan’s representative. Updated at 13.21 BST Important events Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature
Tokyo protests China after it says five missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone
Vincent Nye Japan’s defense ministry said five missiles fired by China during drills near Taiwan landed in its exclusive economic zone, which stretches 200 nautical miles – or 370 kilometers – from Japan’s coast. Tokyo has protested to Beijing. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles were fired into waters around the island today. The last time it happened was in 1996. Taiwanese officials said the drills violated UN rules, invaded its territory and threatened free air and sea navigation. In response to Taiwan’s protests against the military drills, Reuters reports that China’s Beijing-based Taiwan Affairs Office said: “Our punishment of Taiwan’s pro-independence hardliners, foreign powers, is reasonable, legal.” Updated 14.08 BST Here are some images sent to us today from Beijing, where people went about their daily business while footage of China’s military exercises in the Taiwan Straits played on television screens around them. People walking past a screen broadcasting a news report in Beijing. Photo: Thomas Peter/Reuters State television footage of China’s missile launches is broadcast on a subway train. Photo: Andy Wong/AP Updated at 14.03 BST
Taiwan’s US envoy: China’s ‘irresponsible and dangerous behavior has endangered regional peace’
Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-Khim, said on social media that “China’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior has endangered regional peace. Taiwan will defend itself resolutely.” China’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior has endangered regional peace. Taiwan will defend resolutely. https://t.co/SuZzxQtUXh — Bi-khim Hsiao (@bikhim) August 4, 2022 It shared a post from Taiwan’s defense ministry in which it confirmed that its defense systems had been activated upon detecting the launch of the first Chinese missiles at 1.56pm. local time. China launched several Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters around the northeastern and southwestern coasts of Taiwan early today. The US and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, but Hsiao Bi-khim acts as Taiwan’s representative. Updated at 13.21 BST Here are some still images of Chinese missile launches shown today on China’s state television CCTV, which are said to be the missiles fired in the direction of Taiwan. Images have not been independently verified. In this image taken from video streamed by China’s CCTV, a missile is fired from an unspecified location. Photo: APmore missiles are shown being launched from an unspecified location. Photo: AP Daily life goes on in Taiwan, even with heightened political tension. A customer watches a news report on recent tensions between China and Taiwan at a beauty salon in Taipei. Photo: Chiang Ying-ying/AP Updated at 12.39 BST Here is the full text of the statement issued today by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: On August 4, China launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters in the northeast and southwest of Taiwan, threatening Taiwan’s national security, escalating regional tensions and affecting regular international traffic and trade. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly condemns the Chinese government for following North Korea’s example in deliberately testing missiles in waters near other countries and demands that China exercise restraint. MOFA urges the international community to condemn China’s military coercion of Taiwan. The ministry also calls on countries around the world to continue to speak up for a democratic Taiwan in order to jointly protect the values of freedom and democracy, maintain the rules-based international order, and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific . Updated at 12.47 BST The Associated Press spoke to some Taiwanese residents about the Chinese military exercises. “Everyone should want money, not bullets,” joked one, referring to the recent troubles in the economy. 63-year-old Lu Chuan-hsiong had gone outside enjoying his morning bath. He said he wasn’t worried. “Because we are Taiwanese and Chinese, we are all one family. There are many continentals here too,” he said. Those who have to work in the ocean were more worried. Chou Ting-tai, who owns a fishing boat, said: “It is very close. That will definitely affect us, but if they want to do that, what can we do?” Chou Ting-tai (L), speaking to crew member while unloading fishery products at Badouzi Fishing Port on Thursday in Keelung, Taiwan. Photo: Johnson Lai/AP The Guardian’s video team has collected some of the clips purported to show China launching missiles into waters off Taiwan. China fires missiles into Taiwan Strait after Pelosi visit – video Updated at 12.40pm BST
Kremlin calls Pelosi visit to Taiwan ‘unnecessary provocation’
Russia supported China’s right to conduct military exercises. Reuters reports that a Kremlin spokesman said China has the sovereign right to conduct major military exercises around Taiwan and accused the US of artificially fueling tensions in the region. “The tension in the region and around Taiwan was caused by Nancy Pelosi’s visit,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a teleconference. “It was an absolutely unnecessary visit and an unnecessary challenge.” Updated at 12.08 BST
Blinken: The US opposes unilateral efforts to change Taiwan’s status quo
The US opposes any unilateral attempts to change Taiwan’s status quo, especially by force, and its policy on Taiwan has not changed, Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken told his Southeast Asian counterparts. Stability in the straits was in the interest of the entire region, Reuters reports Blinken as saying at a meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters Updated at 11.52 BST
Taiwan says China “mimicked” North Korea by launching missiles into the sea
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said China “mimicking” North Korea by firing missiles into waters near the island earlier in the day and called for restraint amid high tensions with Beijing. He said he strongly condemned the actions and called on the international community to jointly condemn China’s military threat. He urged other countries to continue to support democratic Taiwan and continue to support the international rule of law. In addition, Reuters reports that Taiwan now says the Chinese missile launches occurred in waves that lasted from 1356 to 1600 local time. It is now only 6pm in Taiwan. Updated at 11.52 BST On CNN, Brad Lendon asked the question “does Taiwan have its own airspace?” and the answer is somewhat more complicated than you might imagine. De facto it does, but legally it is less clear. Lendon writes: According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), a country’s territorial limits extend 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from its coastline. The above area is considered the territorial airspace of the country. China has signed Unclos, signing on 10 December 1982 and ratifying it in 1996. Taiwan has not. Most countries in the world do not recognize Taiwan as an independent country. But Drew Thompson, a visiting senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a former US Defense Department official, said most people treated Taiwan as if it were an independent country – and so it should to be considered to have its own airspace. “Based on that principle, then we might decide that international law applies, so Taiwan’s airspace extends 12 miles beyond the baseline. Beyond the 12-mile limit are international waters, international airspace,” he added. Thompson said there was also a matter of precedent, and that even China’s military seemed to acknowledge it implicitly. Despite “the fact that the PLA does not recognize Taiwan, they have respected Taiwan’s airspace,” he said. Chinese commercial airlines also respected Taiwan’s airspace, Thompson said, recognizing a “treaty that effectively treats Taiwan as independent under civil aviation guidelines.” The Global Times, which is a Chinese state media outlet, published this video, which purportedly shows China firing missiles earlier today at the waters around Taiwan. The video has not been independently verified. WATCH: The PLA Eastern Theater Command Rocket Force fired conventional missiles into designated waters east of Taiwan Island on Thursday pic.twitter.com/WpFURLeN8X — Global Times…
