US watches China’s military exercises ‘very closely’
The United States has been watching Chinese military exercises near Japan “very, very closely,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the US National Security Council.
In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Kirby said, “We’ve been watching this very, very closely. It’s concerning. It’s not only concerning to us, but it’s concerning, of course, to the people of Taiwan. It’s concerning to the our allies in the region, especially Japan.”
In recent days, China has conducted its largest military exercises near Taiwan following a controversial visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruled territory.
Asked if Pelosi’s trip triggered China’s military exercises, Kirby said: “The provocateur here is Beijing. They didn’t have to react this way to what is a completely normal trip by members of the Congress in Taiwan… The Chinese are the ones who are ramping this up.”
He also warned of the risk of calculation in the exercises, saying: “One of the things that is problematic about exercises like this or missile launches like this is the risk of calculation, the risk of an error that could lead to some kind of conflict.”
John Kirby in the Brady Room on Tuesday. Photograph: Al Drago/EPA
Updated at 19.02 BST
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Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, has asked Beijing to “act sensibly and show restraint.”
With China starting military exercises in areas around Taiwan today, we call on Beijing to act sensibly and act with restraint.
Taiwan will not escalate the conflict, but we will resolutely defend our sovereignty, our security and our democracy.”
With China starting military exercises in areas around Taiwan today, we call on Beijing to act sensibly and act with restraint. Taiwan will not escalate the conflict, but we will resolutely defend our sovereignty, our security and our democracy.https://t.co/CXNli5bTWG.
— Interview with Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 4
Chinese missiles posed no threat: Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the missiles fired by China on Thursday flew high in the atmosphere and posed no threat to it, responding to public concerns about whether they passed over the main island of Taiwan.
The ministry said in a statement that it would not disclose the flight path of the Chinese missiles due to intelligence concerns.
Earlier, it said 11 Chinese Dongfeng ballistic missiles had been fired into the island’s waters.
Taiwan also scrambled planes on Thursday to warn 22 Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone, the Taiwanese defense ministry said.
The 22 Chinese planes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a ministry statement.
The last time China fired missiles into the waters around Taiwan was in 1996.
Updated at 00.21 BST
China’s top diplomat reportedly walks out of foreign ministers’ dinner
The Chinese government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, left before the start of a gala dinner for foreign ministers meeting in Cambodia on Thursday and was seen leaving the venue in a vehicle, witnesses said.
Wang Yi waved to the media when he entered a detention room for dinner and then left the place, without giving a reason, according to Reuters reporters.
Two witnesses who worked at the site told Reuters that Wang Yi was seen leaving in a vehicle.
The dinner was attended by more than a dozen foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan’s Yoshimasa Hayashi and senior diplomats from the Association of Southeast Nations Asian (ASEAN).
Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has also called for an “immediate halt” to China’s military exercises.
“China’s actions this time have a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and the international community. I once again call for an immediate halt to these military exercises,” Hayashi told reporters.
His comments came after Japan’s defense minister said five Chinese ballistic missiles fired during the exercises were “believed to have landed in Japan’s (exclusive economic zone)”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for de-escalation in the Taiwan Strait and warned of the risk of miscalculation.
“All sides should consider how they can contribute to de-escalating current tensions,” Wong told Agence France Presse.
“One of the risks that worries the region is the risk of miscalculation.”
Wong will join the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), a 27-member body set up to discuss security issues, on Friday.
Summary
It’s just past 6am in Taipei. Here’s where things stand:
- The United States said Thursday that China’s launch of ballistic missiles around Taiwan was an overreaction to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island. “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,” White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
- China has called the United States “the biggest saboteur of peace” as its foreign ministry spokesman criticized US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her recent visit to Taiwan. “Pelosi’s stunt is another failure of US politics, diplomacy and credibility. This shows that the United States is the biggest saboteur of peace and the biggest problem for regional stability,” Hua Chunying said.
- South Korea has temporarily canceled its flights to Taiwan as a result of the ongoing military exercises conducted by China. According to local Korean media, Korean Air canceled flights between Incheon and Taiwan on Friday and Saturday. The airline also delayed the Sunday flight schedule by an hour. Similarly, Asiana extended the Thursday flight by three hours and canceled the Friday flight to Taiwan.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he “very much hopes that Beijing will not produce a crisis or seek a pretense to increase its aggressive military action”. Addressing the ASEAN-US summit, Blinken said that “many countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one’s interests, including members of the ‘ASEAN and China included’.
- The Biden administration postponed a routine test launch of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing amid China’s show of force near Taiwan, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. US officials did not say how long the delay might last, but one said it could last 10 days, the report added.
- The United States has been watching Chinese military exercises near Japan “very, very closely,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the US National Security Council. In an interview with MSNBC on Thursday, Kirby said, “We’ve been watching this very, very closely. It’s concerning. It’s not only concerning to us, but it’s concerning, of course, to the people of Taiwan. It’s concerning to the our allies in the region, especially Japan.”
- Taiwan’s defense ministry said its troops fired flares late Thursday to deter four drones flying over the area of its Kinmen Islands, which lie off China’s southeast coast. , reports Reuters.
- China on Thursday sent 22 fighter jets across the “middle line” that runs through the Taiwan Strait, according to Taipei’s defense ministry. The Ministry of National Defense said “air defense missile systems” were deployed to track the planes and radio warnings were issued, according to an update on its website.
- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo pledged on Thursday to support deterrence against North Korea and achieve its denuclearization. “Both sides expressed concerns over the dire situation of the growing threat from North Korea,” they said in a joint statement after meeting in Seoul.
That’s all from me, Maya Yang, as I turn the blog over to my colleagues in Australia who will bring you the latest. Thanks.
Updated at 23.12 BST
The United States said Thursday that China’s launch of ballistic missiles around Taiwan was an overreaction to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
“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,” White House spokesman John Kirby told the journalists, as reported by Reuters.
Kirby called China’s actions part of a “manufactured crisis” and added that Beijing was trying to upset the regional balance of power.
“It’s also a pretext to try to up the ante … and really try to establish a new status quo, get to a new normal where they think they can keep things going,” Kirby said.
“And my point here today was to make it clear that we are not going to accept a new status quo.
“The temperature is pretty high,” Kirby said.
Tensions “can go down very easily just by the Chinese stopping these very aggressive military exercises and flying missiles in and around the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
Kirby confirmed earlier reports that the Pentagon had delayed a scheduled test launch of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile to avoid stoking tensions.
“We don’t think it’s in our interests, the interests of Taiwan, the interests of the region, to allow tensions to escalate further,” Kirby said.
“As China engages in destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan, the United States is instead demonstrating the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation.”
But he said the US Navy carrier task force USS Ronald Reagan would remain in the area. According to a Chinese military-backed research group, the South China Sea Probing Initiative, the Reagan was about 600 miles (1,000 km) east of Taiwan on Wednesday.
Kirby said the carrier group has…