Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-governing island last week infuriated China, which responded by test-firing ballistic missiles over the island’s capital for the first time and cutting off communication links with the United States.
About 10 warships from China and Taiwan sailed closely through the Taiwan Strait, with some Chinese vessels crossing the middle line, an unofficial buffer zone separating the two sides, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
When the Chinese forces “squeeze” the line, as they did on Saturday, the Taiwanese side remained close to watch and, if possible, deny the Chinese the possibility of crossing it.
“Both sides are showing restraint,” the person said, describing the maneuvers as “cat and mouse” on the high seas.
“One side tries to cross, and the other opposes it and forces it to find itself in a more disadvantageous position to finally come back on the other side.”
Taiwan said its land-based anti-ship missiles and Patriot surface-to-air missiles were on standby.
The Chinese exercises, centered on six sites around the island, began on Thursday and are due to last until noon on Sunday. The Chinese military said on Saturday it was conducting joint sea and air drills north, southwest and east of Taiwan to test its land strike and sea assault capabilities.
The United States has called these exercises escalation.
“These activities constitute a significant escalation in China’s efforts to change the status quo. They are provocative, irresponsible and increase the risk of miscalculation,” a White House spokesperson said.
“They are also at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which the world expects.”
“UNDERMINE THE PEACE
China has cut off communication through various channels with the United States as part of its response to Pelosi’s visit, including between military theater and climate change commands.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused China of taking “irresponsible” action and moving away from prioritizing peaceful resolution towards the use of force.
The Taiwanese military said on Saturday that Chinese ships and planes participating in the drills were carrying out a mock attack on the island that China claims as its territory.
Taiwan’s defense ministry later said his forces had taken off planes to scare away 20 Chinese planes, 14 of which had crossed the center line. They also detected 14 Chinese ships operating around the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry released a photo showing Taiwanese sailors keeping a close watch on a nearby Chinese ship.
On Friday, Taiwanese forces fired flares to warn of drones flying over its Kinmen and unidentified planes flying over its Matsu. Both groups of islands are close to the Chinese coast.
“China’s military exercises have unilaterally changed the current situation in the region and seriously damaged the peace in the Taiwan Strait,” the minister said.
DON’T ACT IRREFLECTIVELY
Ms Pelosi, a longtime China critic and political ally of US President Joe Biden, arrived in Taiwan late Tuesday for the highest-level visit to the island by a US official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed the United States’ unwavering 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 intended to change the status quo in Taiwan or the region”.
Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s Communists seized power in Beijing after defeating Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang nationalists in a civil war, leading to their retreat to the island.
China says its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and reserves the right to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China’s claims, saying only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
Speaking during a visit to the Philippines, Blinken said the United States had heard the concerns of its allies over what he called China’s dangerous and destabilizing actions, but that Washington was seeking to avoid the escalation of the situation.
He said China’s halt to bilateral dialogue in eight key areas was a move that would punish the world.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a Friday press briefing that Blinken was spreading “disinformation”, adding: “We would like to issue a warning to the United States: Do not act rashly, don’t create a bigger crisis”.
China has not mentioned a suspension of military talks at the highest levels, such as with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. Although these talks were infrequent, officials said they were important in an emergency.
Japan’s defense ministry said the day before that five of the nine missiles fired at its territory had landed in its exclusive economic zone.