China-Taiwan news - live: Asia trip ‘not about changing status quo’ says Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi, who arrived in Japan last evening for the final leg of her Asia tour, said the trip to the region was “not about changing the status quo in Taiwan”.
Her diplomatic support to Taipei infuriated China, prompting it to hold live-fire military drills in the waters off Taiwan.
China’s state broadcaster said the military exercises that are set to end on Sunday, would be the largest conducted by China in the Taiwan Strait. The exercises have involved live fire on the waters and in the airspace around the island.
Five missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), prompting Tokyo to lodge a strong protest through diplomatic channels.
Speaking after the meeting Ms Pelosi, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said China’s military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a “grave problem” that threatens regional peace and security and the missile launches need to be “stopped immediately”.
The US House speaker, who previous asserted American commitment to democracy in Taiwan and elsewhere as “ironclad,” said China will not isolate Taipei by preventing American officials from travelling there.
Key points
Taiwan's defence ministry said that China launched two missiles near Matsu Islands
China begins largest-ever military drills around Taiwan
Taiwan deploys missile systems to track Chinese airforce activities
SE Asia urges US, China to avoid provocation over Taiwan
‘We will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan,’ says Pelosi
China curbs trade with Taiwan following Pelosi's visit
US, Russia China take part in talks with SE Asian nations
09:03 , Namita Singh
US secretary of state Antony Blinken joined the foreign ministers of Russia and China at a meeting today with top diplomats from Southeast Asia at a time when the global powers are riven by tensions.
The East Asia Summit of the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Cambodia’s capital was the first time the three men were scheduled to take part in the same forum.
It came a day after WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison by Russia in a politically charged case amid antagonisms over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
China, meantime, has shown outrage over US House speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s visit this week to Taiwan — a self-governing island Beijing claims as its own — and launched show-of-force military exercises in response.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi patted Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on the shoulder as he entered the room and gave the already-seated Lavrov a quick wave before taking his own seat. Lavrov waved back in response.
Mr Blinken, who entered the room last, did not even glance at Lavrov as he took his own seat about a half-dozen chairs away, or at Wang who was seated farther down the same table as Mr Lavrov.
Ahead of the Phnom Penh talks, the US State Department indicated Mr Blinken had no plans to meet one-on-one with either man during the course of the meetings.
Pelosi calls for better relationship with China to work on ‘longer-term challenge’
08:53 , Namita Singh
As Nancy Pelosi wrapped her Asia trip, she called on “the two big countries” — the US and China — to communicate in areas such as climate and other global issues.
“It isn’t about our visit determining what the US-China relationship is. It’s a much bigger and longer-term challenge and once again, we have to recognize that we have to work together on certain areas.”
China cannot stop US officials from visiting Taiwan, says Pelosi as she wraps up Asia trip
08:44 , Namita Singh
China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today in Tokyo as she wrapped up her Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taipei that infuriated China.
The Chinese have tried to isolate Taiwan, Ms Pelosi said, including most recently by preventing the self-governing island from joining the World Health Organization.
They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places, but they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there
Nancy Pelosi
Ms Pelosi called the contention “ridiculous” and said that her trip to Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.
“Our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one. It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan,” she said.
No justification for China’s ‘extreme disproportionate and escalatory’ response, says Blinken
08:41 , Namita Singh
US Secretary of State slammed China’s military exercises saying there is no justification for Beijing’s “extreme disproportionate and escalatory” response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
He said that China’s military exercises aimed at Taiwan including missiles fired into Japan’s exclusive economic zone represent a “significant escalation.”
“China has chosen to overreact and use Speaker Pelosi‘s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” Mr Blinken said at a news conference in the Cambodian capital.
He also said the US stands in “strong solidarity” with Japan following the “dangerous actions China has taken.”
China’s military makes dozens of crossing of Taiwan median line – reports
08:17 , Namita Singh
About 10 Chinese navy ships and 20 military aircraft briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line on Friday morning, a Taiwan source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
Around 10 Chinese navy ships crossed the median line and remained in the area on Friday morning, and about 20 Chinese military aircraft briefly crossed the median line, said the person, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Earlier, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the island’s military has dispatched aircraft and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor the situation there, as China conducts large-scale military drills in zones surrounding Taiwan.
US-Taiwan collusion will put Taipei ‘towards the abyss of disaster’ says China
08:15 , Namita Singh
Claiming that China’s relationship with Taiwan is an internal matter, the Chinese defence ministry spokesperson said “the US-Taiwan collusion and provocation will only push Taiwan towards the abyss of disaster, bringing catastrophe to Taiwan compatriots”.
China’s vice minister Deng Li said Beijing would “prevent the country from splitting with the strongest determination, using all means and at any cost.”
“Pelosi‘s visit to Taiwan is a blatant political manipulation and a blatant and serious violation of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Deng said. “In response to the US-Taiwan collusion and provocation, China’s counterattack is only natural.”
Responding to the Chinese drills, president Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not provoke conflicts but would firmly defend its sovereignty and national security.
Taiwan slams ‘evil neighbour’ China after missiles fly over island
07:49 , Namita Singh
Taiwan condemned its “evil neighbour” today after China fired multiple missiles into its surrounding waters, as many as four of which flew over the island’s capital Taipei in an unprecedented escalation during live-fire exercises.
China launched its largest ever military drills in the seas and skies around Taiwan on Thursday, a day after US House speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing by making a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island that China claims as its own.
Later, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the missiles were high in the atmosphere and constituted no threat. It did not give details of their flight paths, citing intelligence concerns.
US House speaker praises Taiwan, as she pledges US’ solidarity
07:46 , Namita Singh
US House speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Taiwan, pledged US solidarity and said her trip through Asia, which led to unprecedented military drills by an angry China, was never about changing the regional status quo.
“We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region,” she told a news conference after meeting with Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida.
“The Chinese government is not pleased that our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one,” she added.
“It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan.”
Ms Pelosi also lauded Taiwan’s democracy, economic successes and - in a veiled dig at China - its human rights record, noting support by Taiwan, the first Asian government to allow same-sex marriage, for LGBTQ rights.
Pelosi criticises China over the abuse of Uighurs muslims: ‘It’s been labelled a genocide’
07:32 , Namita Singh
US House speaker Nancy Pelosi ruffled some more feathers today as she slammed China for its human rights record over the abuse of Uighur muslims.
“The fact is, I have said it again and again, if we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world,” she said.
“China has some contradictions - some progress in terms of lifting people up, some horrible things happening in terms of the Uyghurs. In fact, it’s been labelled a genocide.”
The delegation member House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Gregory Meeks was even blunt. “They surely don’t want us to continue to talk about what’s happening in Xinjiang (with) the Uighurs,” he said.
“We’re going to speak up and speak out for human rights, human dignity, and democratic process. That’s what this trip was all about.”
Oil tanker owners raise security alerts as airlines cancel flights to Taipei
07:17 , Namita Singh
Amid escalating tension in the Taiwan Strait, large oil tanker owners have since raised security alert levels and are diverting vessels, said Anoop Singh, head of tanker research at Braemar, a shipping risk manager.
Shipping insurance groups have also posted alerts to members, urging caution in navigating around Taiwan.
Though tankers and container vessels were still docking normally in Taiwan, analysts warned even minor delays for ships were a concern when global trade is still recovering from the impact of pandemic lockdowns.
“As ships are utilized for by-passing the tensions and not for expediting trade it’s a move in the wrong direction - meaning more hardship for supply chains,” said Peter Sand, chief analyst at ocean freight platform Xeneta.
Meanwhile, airlines have also cancelled flights to Taipei and rerouted others to avoid nearby airspace that has been closed to civilian traffic during the Chinese military exercises.
“Though China’s action has yet to significantly disrupt ocean freight operations, a prolonged version certainly could,” said Zvi Schreiber, CEO at Freightos shipping index.
“Regional conflict could force vessels to take alternative routes, adding transit time, disrupting schedules and causing further delays and costs.”
China’s military exercise disrupt key shipping lanes
07:14 , Namita Singh
China’s military exercises in the waters around Taiwan have prompted some ships to navigate around the Taiwan Strait and give the island a wide berth, disrupting key trading routes for cargo and commodities sailing around the world, analysts said.
Angered by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China yesterday began four days of military drills around the disputed island, including firing live missiles and deploying fighter jets.
Although Taiwan’s ports are operating as normal, some cargo ships and oil tankers are re-routing around the island to avoid confrontation with the Chinese military, adding around half a day to voyages, analysts and ship owners said.
It is a reminder of the severe impact a conflict over Taiwan could have on global trade given the 180km wide (110-mile) Taiwan Strait and a shipping lane to the island’s east are major routes for ships transporting goods from East Asia to the US and Europe.
“Some ships have already taken precautions and are proceeding east of the island instead of through the Taiwan Strait,” said Niels Rasmussen, chief analyst at shipowner association Bimco.
Asean slams progress on Myanmar peace plan at talks overshadowed by Taiwan
06:59 , Namita Singh
Southeast Asia’s regional bloc Asean is “deeply disappointed” by the limited progress made by Myanmar’s military rulers in implementing a peace agreement to end the conflict in the country, a communique issued by its foreign ministers said.
The communique was issued today and comes as Asean chair Cambodia hosts a broader international gathering, including counterparts from the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Britain and Australia.
The gathering has been overshadowed by tensions over developments around Taiwan following US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s solidarity trip to self-ruled the island this week, which has infuriated Beijing.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov walked out of a plenary meeting today when their Japanese counterpart spoke, a person in the room said.
Mr Wang had cancelled a meeting with Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi in Cambodia yesterday, with China citing displeasure over a G7 statement urging it to resolve tension over Taiwan peacefully.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations had warned of the risk of miscalculations in the Taiwan Strait and “serious confrontation” among major powers, though today’s communique did not mention Taiwan.
The communique did, however, bring up Myanmar’s crisis since last year’s coup and recommended that an Asean summit in November assess progress by the junta in implementing the peace plan “to guide the decision on the next steps”.
“We extensively discussed the recent developments in Myanmar and expressed our concerns over the prolonged political crisis ... including the execution of four opposition activists,” the communique said.
China summons European diplomats over statement on Taiwan
06:44 , Namita Singh
China says it summoned European diplomats in the country to protest statements issued by the Group of Seven nations and the European Union criticizing threatening Chinese military exercises surrounding Taiwan.
The foreign ministry today said vice minister Deng Li made “solemn representations” over what he called “wanton interference in China’s internal affairs.”
China has dispatched navy ships and warplanes and launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait in response to a visit this week by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which China regards as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.
US calls China reaction to Pelosi’s visit ‘flagrantly provocative’
06:25 , Namita Singh
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told an Asian meeting of top diplomats today that China’s reaction to US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was “flagrantly provocative”, a western official said.
Mr Blinken, speaking at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, said China had sought to intimidate not only Taiwan, but neighbours too, after it launched the largest-ever military drills in the Taiwan Strait, the official said.
‘We’re all one family’: Taiwan residents go about regular business amid escalated tension with China
06:22 , Namita Singh
Amid the escalated tension over China’s military activity surrounding Taiwan, the mood in the island state was calm.In Keelung, a city on the northern coast of Taiwan and close to two of the announced drill areas, swimmers took their morning laps in a natural pool built in the ocean.
Lu Chuan-hsiong, 63, was enjoying his morning swim, saying he wasn’t worried. “Because Taiwanese and Chinese, we’re all one family. There’s a lot of mainlanders here, too,” he said.
“Everyone should want money, not bullets,” he quipped, saying the economy wasn’t doing so well.
Those who have to work on the ocean were more concerned. Fishermen are likely to be the most affected by the drills, which cover six different areas surrounding Taiwan, part of which come into the island’s territorial waters.
Most fishermen will continue to try to fish, as it is the season for squid.“It’s very close. This will definitely impact us, but if they want to do this, what can we do? We can just avoid that area,” said Chou Ting-tai, who owns a fishing vessel.
China’s joint military operations focused on ‘blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets’
06:07 , Namita Singh
China’s official Xinhua news agency reported the military exercises were joint operations focused on “blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control.”
Ma Chen-kun, a professor at Taiwan’s National Defense University, said the drills were aimed at showing off the Chinese military’s ability to deploy precision weapons to cut off Taiwan’s links with the outside and facilitate the landing of troops.
The announced drills are “more complete” than previous exercises, he said.
“If the People’s Liberation Army actually invades Taiwan in an all-out invasion, the concrete actions it will take, it’s all in this particular exercise,” Mr Ma said.
“The main thing is they will cut off Taiwan’s links to the outside world, from their sea, they would suppress the coastal defence firepower,” he said.
China’s ‘irrational behavior’ intends to alter status quo, says Taiwan’s defence military
06:00 , Namita Singh
China’s “irrational behavior” intends to alter the status quo and disrupt regional peace and stability, said Taiwan’s defence ministry.
It added that their forces are on alert and monitoring the situation, while seeking to avoid escalating tensions. Civil defense drills were held last week and notices were placed on designated air raid shelters months ago.
“The three service branches will combine efforts with all the people to jointly safeguard national security and territorial integrity” while adapting to the situation as it develops, the statement said.
The ministry said it tracked the firing of Chinese Dongfeng series missiles beginning around 1.56pm yesterday. It said in a statement it used various early warning surveillance systems to track the missile launches. It later said it counted 11 Dongfeng missiles in the waters in the north, east and south.
The ministry also said it tracked long-distance rockets and ammunition firing in outlying islands in Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin.
Taiwanese president criticises China’s military drill: ‘Violated our sovereignty’
05:57 , Namita Singh
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen criticized the drills in a public video address, saying China “destroyed the status quo and violated our sovereignty” with its “irresponsible actions.”
She urged China to be “reasonable and restrained.”
We are calm and not impulsive, we are reasonable and not provocative. But we will also be firm and not back down.
Tsai Ing-wen
The president said Taiwan is in communication with its allies to ensure that things do not escalate further.
US National Security Council spokesperson condemn military activity surrounding Taiwan
05:42 , Namita Singh
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby condemned the launches and military activity surrounding Taiwan.
“China has chosen to overreact and use the speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” he said yesterday.
We will not be deterred from operating in the seas and the skies of the Western Pacific consistent with international law, as we have for decades supporting Taiwan and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific.
John Kirby
China conducts ‘precision missile strikes’ in Taiwan Strait
05:40 , Namita Singh
China conducted “precision missile strikes” yesterday in waters off Taiwan’s coasts as part of military exercises that have raised tensions in the region to their highest level in decades following a visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
China earlier announced that military exercises by its navy, air force and other departments were underway in six zones surrounding Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.
The drills are intended to advertise China’s threat to attack the self-governing island republic. Along with its moves to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, China has long threatened military retaliation over moves by the island to solidify its de facto independence with the support of key allies including the US.
China fired long-range explosive projectiles, the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, the ruling Communist Party’s military wing, said in a statement. It also said it carried out multiple conventional missile launches in three different areas in the eastern waters off Taiwan.
An accompanying graphic on state broadcaster CCTV showed those that occurred in the north, east, and south.“All missiles hit the target accurately,” the Eastern Theater said in its announcement. No further details were given.
Kishida: China’s military exercise aimed at Taiwan ‘grave problem’ threatening regional peace
05:13 , Namita Singh
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that China’s military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a “grave problem” that threatens regional peace and security after five ballistic missiles launched as part of the drills landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Mr Kishida, speaking after breakfast with US House speaker Nancy Pelosi and her congressional delegation, said the missile launches need to be “stopped immediately.”
China, which claims Taiwan and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary, called Ms Pelosi’s visit earlier this week to the self-ruled island a provocation and on Thursday began military exercises, including missile strike training, in six zones surrounding Taiwan, in what could be its biggest since the mid-1990s.
Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said five missiles landed on Thursday in Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan’s main islands. He said Japan protested to China, saying the missiles “threatened Japan’s national security and the lives of the Japanese people, which we strongly condemn.”
China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there, says Pelosi
05:06 , Namita Singh
US House speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there.
She made the remarks in Tokyo, the final leg of an Asia tour highlighted by a visit to Taiwan that infuriated China.
Ms Pelosi, the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, said Wednesday in Taipei that the US commitment to democracy in the self-governing island and elsewhere “remains ironclad”.
The House speaker and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea.
Chinese ambassador issues chilling warning to Taiwan
05:00 , Josh Marcus
A senior Chinese diplomat has issued a chilling warning to Taiwan not to assert its independence anymore, lest it have China “re-educate” the breakaway territory.
Read the full story, only from Independent Premium.
Beijing will ‘re-educate’ Taiwan if it takes over island, Chinese ambassador warns
Pelosi: Asian trip ‘is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan’
04:30 , Namita Singh
US House speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that the trip to Asia was never “about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region”. She made the comments after meeting Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida.
Ms Pelosi, who became the highest-level US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, had praised its democracy and pledged solidarity, enraging China. It prompted the infuriated neighbour to hold live-fire military drills in the waters off Taiwan.
China’s state broadcaster said the military exercises that began yesterday and are set to end on Sunday, would be the largest conducted by China in the Taiwan Strait. The exercises have involved live fire on the waters and in the airspace around the island.
Five missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), prompting Tokyo to lodge a strong protest through diplomatic channels.
One of Washington’s closest allies, Tokyo has been increasingly alarmed about China’s growing might in the Indo-Pacific and the possibility that Beijing could take military action against Taiwan.
China’s Dongfeng missiles take center stage amid Taiwan tensions
04:00 , Josh Marcus
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has accused China of firing 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters to the northeast and southwest of the island as part of aggressive military drills intended as an intimidating show of force.
Tensions in the region have escalated considerably following a visit to Taiwan this week by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, third in line to the presidency and the most senior American politician to visit the country in 25 years.
Beijing urged Ms Pelosi not to pay her respects to a territory that has its own democratic political system, constitution and military but which China considers its own, warning that the trip amounted to “playing with fire”.
After she brushed off those threats and arrived in Taipei, the superpower ordered five days of live-fire exercises and warned that regional conflict could become inevitable, ratcheting up tensions with the self-governing republic to their highest levels since 1996.
Joe Sommerlad with the full story.
How powerful are China’s Dongfeng missiles?
South Korean president misses Pelosi meeting for staycation
03:00 , Josh Marcus
Nancy Pelosi’s much-watched Asia tour has included a run of high-profile meetings: conversations with the prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia; a meeting with the president of Taiwan; and a likely dialogue with the prime minister of Japan by the end of the week.
Missing from that list is the president of South Korea, who missed an in-person get together with the House Speaker as he takes a staycation in Seoul.
Ms Pelosi arrived in South Korea on Wednesday evening. At the time Yoon Suk-yeol was in north Seoul attending a theater performance, grabbing selfies and dinner with the cast of a comedy about a subway station worker.
Mr Yoon’s office has explained he was unavailable to meet in person with the US leader.
Here’s our full story on the snub.
South Korean president misses Pelosi meeting for staycation
Photos and videos capture Nancy Pelosi arriving in Japan
02:00 , Josh Marcus
Nancy Pelosi arrived in Japan on Thursday evening.
She was greated by a delegation including US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel and Ricky Rupp, the commander of US forces in Japan.
Here’s what the scene looked like on the ground.
🇺🇸🇯🇵US House Speaker Pelosi lands in Japan on last stop of Asia tour : US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrives in Japan for the final stop on her Asian tour, following a visit to Taiwan that incensed China. pic.twitter.com/w5akpMgVQx
— World News 24 (@DailyWorld24) August 4, 2022
USFJ is proud to welcome the Honorable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her U.S. Congressional delegation to Japan! The U.S.-Japan alliance is rock solid thanks to our shared values and persistent engagement as we work together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific! pic.twitter.com/1g4PjApE5v
— U.S. Forces Japan (@USForcesJapan) August 4, 2022
.@SpeakerPelosi landed late Thursday at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, where she was greeted by a group that included US Ambassador to Japan @RahmEmanuel and the commander of @USForcesJapan, Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp. https://t.co/7VlM8ju415 pic.twitter.com/cEBG00fbwX
— Aaron Kidd (@kiddaaron) August 4, 2022
Nancy Pelosi arrives in Japan
01:32 , Josh Marcus
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Japan on Thursday evening for the final leg of her Asia tour.
Her plane taxied in at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo around 10pm.
Ms Pelosi is scheduled to meet with the Speaker of Japan’s Lower House, Hosoda Hiroyuki, during her visit.
She will also have breakfast on Friday with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss the US-Japan alliance.
Japan has protested China’s military excercises near Taiwan, which came as the US official visited the contested island nation earlier this week.
Another high-profile foreign trip—to the US
01:12 , Josh Marcus
Nancy Pelosi isn’t the only leader on a controversial foreign tour.
A little over a week ago, Hungary’s prime minister delivered a speech about immigration in which he declared that Europeans “do not want to become peoples of mixed-race.”
The comments by Viktor Orban, the 59-year-old far-right leader, prompted outrage in his own country and across Europe for their explicit racism, and led to the resignation of his close adviser of 20 years, who described the speech as “pure Nazi text.”
But Mr Orban’s use of white supremacist rhetoric did little to dampen the enthusiasm of American conservatives for his visit to the United States this week.
The prime minister was pictured smiling alongside Donald Trump at his Bedminster golf resort on Tuesday. After the meeting, the former president released a statement in which he described Mr Orban as a “friend,” adding: “few people know as much about what is going on in the world today.”
Richard Hall with the full story.
Fresh from furore over ‘Nazi’ speech, Viktor Orban receives rousing welcome at CPAC
Why did Pelosi visit the DMZ?
Friday 5 August 2022 00:52 , Josh Marcus
As if the tension wasn’t high enough, Nancy Pelosi visited the heavily fortified, 160-mile Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea on Thursday with members of a congressional delegation.
“It was a privilege to engage with American heroes in uniform on the ground in Korea, led by General Paul LaCamera, Commander, U.S. Forces Korea. During visits to the Demilitarized Zone/Joint Security Area (DMZ/JSA) and Osan Air Base, we conveyed the gratitude of the Congress and the Country for the patriotic service of our Servicemembers, who stand as sentinels of Democracy on the Korean peninsula,” she wrote in a statement afterwards.
The visit, as well as Ms Pelosi’s meeting with South Korean leaders, reinforced the US’s role as a nuclear deterent on the Korean peninsula.
“The United States and South Korea share a strong bond formed for security and forged by decades of warm friendship. Our Congressional delegation traveled to Seoul to reaffirm our treasured ties and our shared commitment to advancing security and stability, economic growth and democratic governance,” the House Speaker said of her visit.
Chinese ambassador to US slams Pelosi trip in Washington Post op-ed
Friday 5 August 2022 00:22 , Josh Marcus
Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador to the US, voice his frustration with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan trip in a scathing op-ed published Thursday in The Washington Post.
In the piece, he argued the US and the international community have long recognised China as the sole representative of Taiwan. Ms Pelosi’s trip, he said, shattered an unsteady peace.
“These are extremely irresponsible, provocative and dangerous moves,” he wrote. “The one-China principle is part of the postwar international order and has become a general international consensus. As a country that thinks of itself as a champion of the ‘rules-based international order,’ the United States should naturally abide by the one-China principle.”
Read the full piece via the Post.
Tucker Carlson mocked for saying ‘US has never been less ready for war’
Thursday 4 August 2022 23:58 , Josh Marcus
Between Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan trip and the US strike on Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, questions and analysis about the US military’s tactics are on the minds of many. Including Tucker Carlson.
The Fox News host went on a tirade earlier this week blasting the military readiness of the US on the same day that President Joe Biden announced that the leader of Al-Qaeda had been killed.
On Monday night, Mr Carlson also laced into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who landed in Taiwan on the following day along with fellow Democratic lawmakers for a trip that has been criticized for ratcheting up tensions with China. China notably considers the island part of its own territory.
“Nancy Pelosi ... has no understanding of what she is doing or what might happen if she does it”, Mr Carlson said ahead of Ms Pelosi’s trip. “No one wants to say it out loud, but the truth is, she can’t know because, like Kamala Harris, she’s never even been in a bar fight. She has no understanding of violence or its consequences and there are consequences, including the potential deaths of millions of people.”
Tucker Carlson says ‘US has never been less ready for war’ as Biden strikes Al Qaeda
Chinese military drills shake up the region
Thursday 4 August 2022 23:38 , Josh Marcus
China fired ballistic missiles during unprecedented military drills around Taiwan on Thursday, in response to Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taipei, the self-ruled island that Beijing regards as its sovereign territory.
China fires ballistic missiles into Taiwan Strait as fury over Pelosi visit grows
Taiwanese officials condemned the excercises as “irresponsible, illegitimate behaviour”, and cancelled flights to China.
Taiwan cancels flights as China holds military drills
South Korean president ditches Pelosi meeting for ‘staycation'
Thursday 4 August 2022 23:12 , Josh Marcus
South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol didn’t meet with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she arrived in the country for the next leg of her Asian tour.
Instead, the head of state was on what’s been dubbed a “staycation.”
He was spotted on Wednesday evening attending a theater performance in Seoul and hobnobbing over dinner and drinks with the actors.
His office has said the holiday was planned before Ms Pelosi’s agenda went public.
“I have received questions about whether the president avoided meeting with the House speaker because he was wary of China,” his spokesperson told The Washington Post. “All these things are decided based on a thorough consideration of our country’s national interest.”
The two spoke by phone instead.
Some in the country have been critical of the perceived snub.
“Yoon’s avoidance of Pelosi meeting may send wrong signals to the U.S. and China,” the Chosun Ilbo newspaper argued in an editorial, warning of a “submissive attitude” towards Xi Jinping .
How the potential next UK prime minister would handle Taiwan
Thursday 4 August 2022 22:58 , Josh Marcus
Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss has said that she will not visit Taiwan if she is elected prime minister and leader of the Conservative party.
The foreign secretary’s comments came after China fired missiles in military drills following a visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, 3 August.
“We have a long standing position that the foreign secretary, the Ministry of Defence and the prime minister don’t visit Taiwan,” Ms Truss said during a Sky News debate on Thursday.
More from Independent TV.
Tory leadership: Liz Truss says she will not visit Taiwan if elected prime minister
Editorial: Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan was ill-advised at a precarious time for the world
Thursday 4 August 2022 22:38 , Josh Marcus
If Nancy Pelosi went to Taiwan with the aim of making its people feel more secure, then her visit may be judged to have enjoyed mixed results at best.
It was a rare visit and president Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan was no doubt delighted to greet Speaker Pelosi, technically second only to vice-president Kamala Harris in seniority. But it is not obvious the visit enjoyed support from the White House, or signalled any substantial new commitment of American resources to the defence of Taiwan.
Ms Pelosi, in other words, was engaged in gesture politics, albeit of a lofty kind, and the gesture was taken to be an exceptionally rude one in Beijing, which has chosen to ignore the nuances of how far Speaker Pelosi was acting with the authority of President Biden.
There are few issues more likely to send Chinese officialdom into paroxysms of rage than Taiwan, and Speaker Pelosi must have known this. A politician of unusual strength of mind, she has a long record in defending the universal human rights of the Chinese people against their authoritarian government. Moreover, she has plenty of experience in understanding the diplomatic sensitivities involved in such an initiative as her official trip.
Read more from The Independent’s editorial about the controversial trip.
Editorial: Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan was ill-advised at this precarious time
Chinese military official calls US ‘saboteur of peace’ in fiery tweets
Thursday 4 August 2022 22:00 , Graig Graziosi
Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese military, condemned the US and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, calling the US the “biggest saboteur of peace” on the planet.
“Pelosi’s stunt is another bankruptcy of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves the US to be the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability,” she wrote.
#Pelosi’s stunt is another bankruptcy of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. It proves the US to be the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest troublemaker to regional stability.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 4, 2022
NSC spokesman Admiral John Kirby says US expects Chinese to continue ‘provocative military activity'
Thursday 4 August 2022 21:45 , Graig Graziosi
National Security Council spokesman Admiral John Kirby said the US expects that China will continue aggressive military shows of force in reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
“China has chosen to overreact and use the Speaker’s visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait,” Mr Kirby said during a briefing at the White House. “We also expect that these actions will continue.”
It’s unclear what specifically what actions the US expects China to take in the coming days.
More fallout from Nancy Pelosi visit to Taiwan:
"China has chosen to overreact and use the Speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait," John Kirby says in WH briefing. "We also expect that these actions will continue."— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) August 4, 2022
Taiwan used flares and scrambled jets to ward off Chinese drones
Thursday 4 August 2022 21:25 , Graig Graziosi
Reports from Taiwan suggest its defense officials scrambled jets and fired off flares to ward off Chinese drones flying near the island.
Taiwanese officials said four drones were operating near the island, and that at one point on Thursday 22 Chinese jets crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait before turning around.
NSC spokesman Admiral John Kirby says USS Ronald Regan will stay in western Pacific as China runs live-fire drills
Thursday 4 August 2022 21:00 , Graig Graziosi
NSC spokesman Admiral John Kirby told reporters Thursday that USS Ronald Regan, a US Navy aircraft carrier, will remain in the western Pacific as China runs live-fire drills in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
China engaged in live-fire drills on Wednesday and Thursday, some of which flew over Taipei and landed in Japanese waters.
John Kirby says at the WH Podium the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan will remain in the western pacific as China launches live fire exercises around Taiwan
— Liz Friden (@Liz_Friden) August 4, 2022
Flights from South Korea to Taiwan cancelled after China continues live-fire drills
Thursday 4 August 2022 20:29 , Graig Graziosi
Reports coming out of South Korean media suggest that Korea Air has cancelled flights between that country and Taiwan due to China’s live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait.
Korean Air has reportedly cancelled flights between the city of Incheon and Taiwan for Friday and Saturday.
Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority said it also rerouted flights to avoid the Taiwan Strait due to China’s drills.
Nancy Pelosi visits demilitarised zone at the border of North and South Korea
Thursday 4 August 2022 20:10 , Graig Graziosi
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the demilitarised zone, which sits along the border of North Korea and South Korea, along with a congressional delegation on Thursday.
“It was a privilege to engage with American heroes in uniform on the ground in Korea, led by General Paul LaCamera, Commander, U.S. Forces Korea. During visits to the Demilitarized Zone/Joint Security Area (DMZ/JSA) and Osan Air Base, we conveyed the gratitude of the Congress and the Country for the patriotic service of our Servicemembers, who stand as sentinels of Democracy on the Korean peninsula,” Ms Pelosi said in a statement.
Her trip to the DMZ comes on the heels of her visit to Taiwan, which infuriated China. Beijing responded by engaging in live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait.
Russian politician said it would have been ‘good’ if China had shot down Nancy Pelosi’s plane
Thursday 4 August 2022 19:39 , Graig Graziosi
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 the head of the nationalist Rodina party, appeared on Russian state TV, where he said that shooting down Ms Pelosi’s plane would have opened a “second front” for Mr Putin’s war efforts.
“It would be important for us if this plane was either squeezed out [intercepted] or was shot down,” he said. “For us, opening a second front is good. No matter how the situation with the island [Taiwan] develops, we will anyway win. The whole world understands that the only country which can resist the U.S. is Russia.”
Biden admin delays routine missile test launch to avoid escalating tensions with China
Thursday 4 August 2022 18:44 , Graig Graziosi
The Biden administration has reportedly delayed a routine test launch of a ballistic missile in California in order to avoid escalating tensions with China.
Beijing has been holding live 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 test but it is being postponed to remove any misunderstandings given the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] actions around Taiwan,” the official told the paper.
Officials said the delay could last for up to 10 days.
Taiwanese officials warn citizens not to travel to China unless ‘absolutely necessary’ following activists’ arrest
Thursday 4 August 2022 18:14 , Graig Graziosi
Officials in Taiwan have warned citizens not to travel to China unless “absolutely necessary” after Taiwanese pro-democracy advocate Yang Chih-yuan was arrested by Chinese authorities for “sepratism.”
He was arrested and charged on 3 August.
Taiwanese officials fear other citizens may be targetted under similar charges if they visit China.
NSC Spokesman Admiral John Kirby says US watching Chinese drills ‘very closely'
Thursday 4 August 2022 17:24 , Graig Graziosi
National Security Council spokesman Admiral John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the US was monitoring China’s live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait “very, very closely.”
China began holding the live-fire drills as a way to voice its displeasure with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Mr Kirby laid the blame for the heightened tensions at China’s feet.
“The provocateur here is Beijing. They didn’t have to react this way to what is completely normal travel by congressional members to Taiwan...The Chinese are the ones who are escalating this,” he said.
Taiwan defense officials say Chinese jets passed the Taiwan Strait ‘median line’
Thursday 4 August 2022 16:31 , Graig Graziosi
Defense officials in Taipei, Taiwan have accused China of sending jets over the “median line” in the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial border between China and Taiwan.
On Wednesday, 22 jets buzzed over the line, and another 22 did so on Thursday.
Defense officials in Taipei said they planned to ramp up their air defenses in response.
Japanese Ministry of Defense believes some Chinese missiles were shot over Taiwan
Thursday 4 August 2022 15:37 , Graig Graziosi
The Japanese Ministry of Defense 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 shot over the island of Taiwan, and more specifically, over its capital city, Taipei.
Both Taiwan and Japan have denounced China’s reaction to Ms Pelosi’s visit.
On Aug. 4, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced that China had launched nine ballistic missiles into the waters surrounding Japan and Taiwan. Five of them landed in Japan’s EEZ. pic.twitter.com/cCyCGAPFbo
— Japan Embassy Defense Section DC (@JapanEmbDCDef) August 4, 2022
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defends China’s reaction to Pelosi trip
Thursday 4 August 2022 15:11 , Graig Graziosi
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters that China’s reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan — which included holding military drills and lobbing missiles around the Taiwan Strait — was within the nation’s rights.
“This is China’s sovereign right,” Mr Peskov said. “The tension in the region and around Taiwan was provoked… by the visit of Nancy Pelosi. It was an absolutely unnecessary visit and an unnecessary provocation.”
Japanese Ministry of Defense says China launched nine missiles towards their territory
Thursday 4 August 2022 14:35 , Graig Graziosi
The Japanese Ministry of Defense issued a statement on Thursday claiming that China had fired nine missiles, including five that landed in its economic exclusion zone. Four others 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.
China launches missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, says minister
Thursday 4 August 2022 14:20 , Gustaf Kilander
China has launched five ballistic missiles into the waters that Japan considers to be its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Japanese defence minister says, adding that this is the first time such an incident has ever taken place.
Nobuo Kishi said Japan had lodged a protest via diplomatic routes.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is due to travel to Japan after visiting Taiwan and South Korea.
It was her trip to Taiwan that infuriated China and led Beijing to launch military exercises around Taiwan, in what could be the biggest of their kind since the mid-1990s.
The five missiles that landed in Japanese territory were from those exercises, the Japan Times said.
“This is a grave issue that concerns our country’s national security and people’s safety,” Kishi told a hastily organised news conference.
Read more:
China launches missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, says minister
How powerful are China’s Dongfeng missiles?
Thursday 4 August 2022 14:05 , Joe Sommerlad
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has accused China of firing 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters to the northeast and southwest of the island as part of aggressive military drills intended as an intimidating show of force.
Tensions in the region have escalated considerably following a visit to Taiwan this week by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, third in line to the presidency and the most senior American politician to visit the country in 25 years.
Beijing urged Ms Pelosi not to pay her respects to a territory that has its own democratic political system, constitution and military but which China considers its own, warning that the trip amounted to “playing with fire”.
After she brushed off those threats and arrived in Taipei, the superpower ordered five days of live-fire exercises and warned that regional conflict could become inevitable, ratcheting up tensions with the self-governing republic to their highest levels since 1996.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said its armed forces had used early warning, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to monitor the Dongfeng (or, DF) rockets and condemned China’s “irrational actions undermining regional peace”.
Read more: