The Taiwanese military has deployed planes, ships and land-based missile systems to monitor the situation amid large-scale air and sea military exercises in the surrounding areas. The announcement was made on Friday, August 5, by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, which called the Chinese maneuvers extremely provocative. He reported that several Chinese ships and planes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait that morning. At the same time, the Taiwanese military is brought to combat readiness, these actions are not a requirement for starting a war, it is indicated later.

Taiwan’s chief executive, Tsai Ing-wen, called the Chinese exercises near the island “irresponsible”. In a video message, she urged Beijing to use common sense and restraint. Taiwan will not escalate, but wants to maintain the status quo, she stressed. Tsai also said her government was taking steps to ensure the smooth functioning of Taiwan’s ports and airports and stabilize financial markets.

Chinese media and Japan: Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan

PRC state media reported that Chinese missiles flew over Taiwan during the exercise. Officially, Beijing has yet to confirm this fact, while Taipei officials have refused to confirm or deny the flight paths of the Chinese missiles, citing intelligence concerns. For its part, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said that of the nine missiles registered, four “presumably flew over the main island of Taiwan”.

According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, during the exercises, the military engaged more than 100 fighter planes, including fighters and bombers, as well as more than 10 destroyers and frigates.

China’s Taiwan Strait exercises, which began after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, are expected to last until Aug. They drew strong criticism from the Taipei authorities as well as the US, Japan and EU.

German MPs plan to visit Taiwan

In the meantime, German lawmakers can visit Taiwan. The Bundestag Human Rights Committee is planning a trip to the island at the end of October, and a corresponding request will be submitted no later than early September, the dpa writes, citing several committee members. At the same time, the visit was planned a long time ago and is not linked to Pelosi’s trip, it is reported later.

Tensions between mainland Chinese and Taiwanese officials have escalated in recent days over Nancy Pelosi’s island visit – she flew to Taiwan on the evening of Aug 2 as part of a tour of Asian countries and left on Aug 3. Pelosi, who assured Taiwan of broad support from Washington during the visit, became the first US House of Representatives speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

Chinese officials, who consider Taiwan their territory, were harshly critical even before their arrival on the island. On August 4, after Pelosi’s departure, the People’s Liberation Army of China began the previously announced air and sea military exercises in the Taiwan area.