Taiwan and China cross the midline in the strait. USA: ‘Big escalation’

President Tsai: Irresponsible missile launch

Taiwan’s president has called China’s firing of missiles near busy international flights and sea routes around the island “irresponsible” as part of military exercises in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. Tsai, in a 4-minute message posted late yesterday evening on the presidential office website, called on Beijing to act with greater restraint. Tsai added that Taiwan will not inflame tensions, but will defend sovereignty: “We strive to maintain the status quo across the straits with an open mind for constructive dialogue.”

Tsai added that the government is working to ensure safe operations at the island’s seaports and airports, as well as the stability of financial markets. The presidential rhetoric ripened after the Defense Ministry confirmed that the Chinese military had fired 11 ballistic missiles that landed in waters off the northeastern and southwestern parts of Taiwan, some of which had flown over the island before. And fell in the exclusive economic zone of Japan.

Pelosi in Japan: Chinese ambassador meets

Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled out that the visit to Taiwan had harmed the island, describing the controversy as “ridiculous”, stressing that the United States does not intend to change the “status quo” in the region. To whomever asked her at a press conference if she thought her visit did not benefit the island, the president said it was a “ridiculous” dispute, adding that the Asian country was one of the “freest countries in the world”.

We have said from the beginning that our presence here does not mean that the status quo in Asia has to change. Pelosi said in Japan on the last day of his tour in Asia, according to a statement from his office, that it is again the law of relations with Taiwan and policy between the United States and China.

Pelosi agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that the two countries should work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japan’s NHK news agency reported.