Taiwan-China latest: Five Chinese missiles land in Japan’s economic waters, says minister

Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday that five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed in the exclusive economic zone of Japan.

Mr Kishi said it was the first incident of its kind and that Japan had made a diplomatic protest in response, according to Reuters.

Nancy Pelosi’s whirlwind visit to Taiwan ended in less than 24 hours, but during that time, the small democratic island suddenly became the most talked-about topic in the world.

Read what people really thought of Nancy Pelosi’s visit here:

A dramatic video shows missiles being fired from the Chinese coast towards Taiwan’s Matsu Islands. One can hear the sounds of waves lapping the shore and immediately the drone of the missiles in the air.

Watch the full video here:

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said today that China “imitated” North Korea by launching ballistic missiles into waters near the island earlier in the day.

Taiwan called for “self-restraint” amid high tensions as Beijing began unprecedented military drills near Taiwan.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that China has “threatened Taiwan’s security” and urged countries to support the island and jointly defend freedom and democracy.

State-owned broadcaster CCTV quoted China’s foreign minister Wang Yi today calling Nany Pelosi’s highly controversial visit to Taiwan a “manic, irresponsible and highly irrational” action by the United States.

China launched two missiles near Taiwan’s Matsu islands, which lie off the coast of China, at around 2pm local time today after warning of “consequences” over the US House speaker’s visit to the self-governing island.

Beijing began its unprecedented live-fire military drills in six areas that ring Taiwan earlier this morning, with the war games expected to run until 4am GMT on Sunday.

Southeast Asia’s Asean regional bloc urged for “maximum restraint” and urged all sides to “refrain from provocation” today.

In a statement, Asean noted that tensions in the Taiwan Strait could lead to “miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”.

“Asean stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue between all parties,” the statement added.

The US secretary of state Antony Blinken said today that the United States “opposes any unilateral efforts to change the Taiwan status quo, especially by force”.

Addressing the Asean conference in Cambodia, he said that the US policy on Taiwan “has not changed”.

Russia has said that China has the “sovereign right” to hold military exercises near Taiwan and that heightened tensions were provoked by Nancy Pelosi visiting the island.

China began its largest-ever military drills near Taiwan on Thursday morning and has fired several ballistic missiles into the waters near Taiwan’s Matsu Islands.

Chinese state media called Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan an “opening salvo of war”.

A senior Chinese diplomat has warned that Beijing will “re-educate” the people of Taiwan after it has “reunited” the island with the mainland.

Speaking to the French station BFMTV on Wednesday, Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France, described Ms Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan as an “unnecessary provocation”, which had “created a lot of danger”.

China is staging live-fire military drills in six zones surrounding Taiwan in response to a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island Beijing claims as its own territory.