China sanctions Nancy Pelosi for her visit to Taiwan; Japan calls Chinese missiles 'serious problem'

Pelosi and five other members of Congress arrived in Tokyo late Thursday after visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. In a press conference on Friday, she said friendship between the US and Taiwan is a "strong one".

She added that the Asian trip was never about changing status quo in Taiwan. "It's about Taiwan Relations Act, US-China policy, all pieces of legislation and agreements that established our relationship-have peace in Taiwan Straits and have status quo prevail," she said.

Speaking about human rights, Nancy Pelosi said the US and China must have communication. "If we don't speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak about human rights anywhere in world," she said a day after China launched military drills encircling Taiwan.

China resumed its military drills around Taiwan on Friday. The Taiwan defence ministry said Chinese fighter jets and warships crossed median line again. "Multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan Strait and have crossed the median line," the ministry said in a tweet.

Multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan Strait and have crossed the median line. #ROCArmedForces have utilized alert broadcast, aircraft in CAP, patrolling naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in response to this situation. pic.twitter.com/lVpRWCZxhm

— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) August 5, 2022 

The ministry called Beijing’s latest military drills "highly provocative". "This Chinese military exercise, whether it be the launch of ballistic missiles or the deliberate crossing of the median line of the strait, is a highly provocative act," it said in a statement.

On Thursday, China launched its "largest-ever" live-fire military drills in six zones around Taiwan. The move was said to be in retaliation to the House speaker's visit to Taiwan earlier this week. China "has chosen to overreact" to Pelosi's Taiwan visit, the White House said on Friday.

The Rocket Force under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's PLA conducts conventional missile tests into the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan in this handout released on August 4, 2022. (Image: Reuters)

Taiwan termed the drills as "illegitimate, irresponsible" and said its military will continue to reinforce its alertness level and will react appropriately to the "enemy situation".

Taiwan 's defence ministry said the Chinese military launched a total of 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters near Taiwan's northern, southern and eastern coasts in several volleys.

Taiwan and mainland China split during a civil war in 1949. However, China claims Taiwan as its territory and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. The country had strongly opposed Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Five Chinese ballistic missiles, launched as part of the drills, were believed to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Hateruma, an island far south of Japan’s main islands. Reacting to this, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday said Chinese missiles are "serious problem that impacts our national security"

He said China’s military exercises aimed at Taiwan represent a “grave problem” that threatens regional peace and security. The missile launches need to be “stopped immediately", he was quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press. Kishida even called for the "immediate cancellation" of China’s military exercises.