China on Thursday, August 4, launched a total of 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters near the northern, southern and eastern coasts of Taiwan in several volleys as a retaliatory action to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island nation.
China launches multiple Dongfeng ballistic missiles near Taiwan waters
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 4, 2022
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/6PEX4fU0z4
#China #ChinaTaiwanCrisis #Dongfeng pic.twitter.com/AC9FHWKXhp
Pelosi was the highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in decades, ignoring Beijing’s warnings. Beijing considers the self-ruled island to be a part of China.
Taiwan condemns China for its “irresponsible, unlawful behaviour”
“Chinese Communist Party fired multiple Dongfeng series ballistic missiles into the surrounding waters of northeastern and southwestern Taiwan from approximately 13:56 this afternoon,” the Taiwanese defence ministry said in a brief statement.
It later confirmed that 11 missiles had been fired, nearly double the number that was fired in July 1995 during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. The Island nation, however, did not specify where the missiles landed or whether they flew over the island.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party condemned China’s show of force against the island, calling China’s drills on the busiest international waterways and aviation corridors “irresponsible, unlawful behaviour.”
Beijing defend the military exercise, and pins blame on the USA
Meanwhile, the Chinese military confirmed that the drills began around 13:56 pm, and involved a “conventional missile firepower assault” in waters to the east of Taiwan.
PLA has launched multiple DF ballistic #missiles at our NE and SW waters since 13:56. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation with various means, while our defense systems have been activated. We condemn such irrational action that has jeopardized regional peace. pic.twitter.com/9JAFVBJIUO
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 4, 2022
Eastern Theater Command spokesman Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement that the aim of the military exercise was to test the precision of the missiles and their ability to deny an enemy access to or control of an area.
Confirming that the drills will continue till Sunday midday, Beijing justified the drills as “necessary and legitimate,” blaming the escalation on the US and its allies.
“In the face of this blatant provocation, we have to take legitimate and necessary countermeasures to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing on Thursday.
“The purpose is to show that the PLA is capable of controlling all the exits of the Taiwan Island, which will be a great deterrent to ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces,” Zhang Junshe, a senior researcher at China’s Naval Research Institute, said.
5 missiles fired by China land in Japan’s EEZ
Meanwhile, Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday, that five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“Five of the nine ballistic missiles launched by China are believed to have landed within Japan’s EEZ,” Kishi told the media, adding that it was the first time Chinese ballistic missiles have landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
“We have protested strongly through diplomatic channels,” he added.
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is an area of the sea in which a coastal state claims the sovereign rights to conduct economic activities (including exploration and exploitation of natural resources) and the jurisdiction over marine scientific research, the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and other matters.
Pertinently, Japan claims an EEZ of 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shores. Japan has a long-standing dispute over its EEZ boundaries with all its Asian neighbours which includes China, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan.
‘Won’t sit idly by‘, China had threatened USA ahead of Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit
Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker left Taiwan on a US Air Force jet last evening. She had visited Taiwan, despite warnings from the Biden administration, who were worried about the rising escalation with China that had already warned against Pelosi’s proposed visit to the island nation.
Notably, mainland China and their mouthpieces had issued multiple warnings to the USA to avoid visiting Taiwan. In fact, ahead of her visit, China had warned that its military “won’t sit idly by” should Nanci Pelosi visits Taiwan.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian had said that because of Pelosi’s status as the “No. 3 official of the U.S. government”, a visit to Taiwan, which China claims as its own, would “lead to egregious political impact”.
In response to the visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the Chinese embassy to India had also said, “A visit to Taiwan by US Speaker Pelosi would constitute a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, greatly threaten peace & stability across Taiwan Strait, severely undermine China-US relations & lead to a very serious situation & grave consequences.”
Wang Xiaojian, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India further said, “Those who play with fire will perish by it. If the US side insists on making the visit & challenges China’s red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures. The US must bear all consequences arising thereof.”
