Chinese and Taiwanese warships have been shadowing each other in the hours before the scheduled end of four days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises, launched in reaction to a visit to Taiwan by the speaker of the US House of Representatives.
Nancy Pelosi’s visit last week to the self-ruled island angered China, which responded with ballistic missile test launches over the capital, Taipei, for the first time and cutting some ties with the United States.
About 10 warships from China and Taiwan sailed near the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, with some Chinese ships crossing the median line, an unofficial buffer that separates the two sides, according to a person with knowledge of the matter
As Chinese forces “rushed” the line, as they did on Saturday, the Taiwanese side stayed close to watch and, when possible, deny the Chinese a chance to cross.
“Both sides are showing restraint,” said the person, who described the maneuvers as “cat and mouse.”
“One side tries to cross and the other gets in the way and forces them into a more disadvantaged position and eventually back to the other side.”
Taiwan said its ground-based anti-ship missiles and Patriot surface-to-air missiles were on standby.
The Chinese exercises, centered on six areas of the island, began on Thursday and were expected to last until midday on Sunday. China’s military said on Saturday it was conducting joint naval and air exercises in northern, southwestern and eastern Taiwan, focused on testing land attack and maritime assault capabilities.
The United States called the exercises an escalation.
“These activities are 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 spokesman said.
“They are also at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which is what the world expects.”
China halted multi-channel communication with the United States as part of its response to Pelosi’s visit, including among military theater commands and on climate change.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of taking “irresponsible” steps and moving away from prioritizing a peaceful resolution to the use of force.
Taiwan’s military said on Saturday that Chinese ships and aircraft taking part in the drills were carrying out a simulated attack on the island, which China claims as its territory.
Taiwan’s defense ministry later said its forces scrambled planes to alert 20 Chinese planes, including 14 that crossed the median line. It also detected 14 Chinese vessels operating around the Taiwan Strait.
The ministry released a photograph showing Taiwanese sailors closely watching a nearby Chinese vessel.
On Friday, Taiwan’s forces fired flares to warn of drones flying over its Kinmen Islands and unidentified aircraft flying over its Matsu Islands. Both island groups are located near the coast of China.
“China’s military exercises have unilaterally changed the current situation in the region and seriously damaged peace in the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry said.
Pelosi, a longtime critic of China and a political ally of President Joe Biden, arrived in Taiwan late Tuesday in the highest-level visit to the island by a U.S. official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. He said his visit showed the United States’ unwavering commitment to support Taiwan’s democracy.
“The world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,” he said. He also stressed that his trip was “not about changing 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, prompting 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 Taiwanese people can decide their future.
Speaking during a visit to the Philippines, Blinken said the United States had heard concerns from allies about what he called China’s dangerous and destabilizing actions, but Washington sought to avoid escalating the situation.
He said China’s cessation of bilateral dialogue in eight key areas would punish the world.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Blinken was spreading “misinformation,” adding: “We want to issue a warning to the United States: Do not act rashly, do not create a bigger crisis.”
China has not mentioned the suspension of military talks at the highest levels, including with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. While such talks have been infrequent, officials have said they are important in an emergency.