Chinese planes and ships have again crossed the median line in the strait between the mainland and Taiwan.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said that multiple Chinese “warships and warplanes” had conducted exercises in the Taiwan Strait as of 11am on Friday.
It comes as China holds its second day of military drills around the island, Beijing’s main response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the military exercises which included firing missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
He added that this week’s stand-off was Beijing’s latest attempt to alter the fragile status quo over self-ruled Taiwan.
“There are serious concerns not only for Taiwan, but for the possibility that these actions by Beijing will destabilize the broader region. For our part, the United States will not be provoked. We’ll continue to do what we’ve done for a long time.
“We’ll support cross-strait peace and stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific. You’ll see that in the days and weeks ahead. We will stick by our allies and partner work with and through regional organizations to enable friends in the region to make their own decisions free from coercion”, Blinken stated.
Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang accused China of destroying the world’s most frequently used waterway with military exercises, referring to the country as the “evil neighbour” when reporters asked about the missile launches on Friday.
Asian airlines, including Singapore Airlines and Korean Air, re-routed or cancelled flights on Friday because of China’s continuing military activity.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin underlined its support for China Monday, accusing the US of purposefully inflaming tensions in the region.
