China has launched an unprecedented series of live-fire military exercises meant to effectively blockade the island of Taiwan, shortly after the departure of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week raised fears of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait, Reuters and The Guardian report. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it would respond appropriately to a “hostile situation.”

China’s People’s Liberation Army has begun military exercises, including firing live ammunition in the waters and airspace around the island of Taiwan, a day after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims is Chinese territory, Chinese state television reported. This was reported by Reuters on Thursday.

According to state television, the exercise is due to end at 12:00 (04:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Taiwanese officials said the exercises violated UN rules, invaded Taiwan’s territorial space and represented a direct challenge to free air and sea navigation.

China is conducting exercises on the world’s busiest waterways and international air routes, and it is “irresponsible and illegal behavior,” Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party said.

Taiwan’s armed forces respond to “hostile situation”

Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Thursday that its army would continue to increase its level of readiness and respond appropriately to a “hostile situation”.

Taiwan’s military is closely monitoring the “hostile situation” in the Taiwan Strait and near Taiwan’s outlying islands, and all of its troops are conducting daily training as usual, Taiwan’s defense ministry said.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense also announced that its website had been targeted by cyberattacks and was temporarily down.

On Wednesday night, just hours after Pelosi left for South Korea, an unidentified aircraft, believed to be a drone, flew over the Kinmen Islands off the coast of mainland Taiwan.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan.

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan angered China

Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, on Wednesday praised the country’s democracy and pledged solidarity during a brief stopover, adding that China’s anger could not stop world leaders from traveling there.

China summoned the US ambassador to Beijing to protest his visit and suspended several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

“Our delegation has come to Taiwan to say clearly and unequivocally that we will not leave Taiwan,” Pelosi told Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing suspects is pushing for formal independence.

“Now more than ever, America’s solidarity with Taiwan is critical, and that’s the message we bring here today,” Pelosi said.

The US and G7 foreign ministers warned China against using Pelosi’s visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.