Nancy Pelosi sends ‘unequivocal message’ that ‘America stands with Taiwan’
China started its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan today after Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the island nation. Taiwan called the military drills around the island “illegitimate and irresponsible”.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said that China launched two Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters at around 2pm local time around the island’s northeast and southwest.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party said that China’s drills on the busiest international waterways and aviation routes are “irresponsible, illegitimate behaviour.”
US House speaker Pelosi left Taiwan on a US Air Force jet last evening, concluding a historic and high-stakes visit that drew a slew of angry responses from China. Her next stop is South Korea.
Taiwan said on Thursday that it had fired flares to drive away an unidentified aircraft — probably drones — that had flown in on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands.
Beijing warned of “punishing” those who offend it, while Chinese state media called the speaker’s trip an “opening salvo of war”.
On Thursday, Ms Pelosi met South Korean National Assembly speaker Kim Jin Pyo and other senior members of Parliament for talks on regional security, economic cooperation and climate issues.
