From cyberattacks to military drills, Taiwan is witnessing heightened activity in and around the self-ruled island as tensions with China rise following the visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China announced a series of sanctions on Taiwan and vowed a “resolute, forceful and effective” action in response to Pelosi’s trip. It is set to kick off its largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan, some of the world’s busiest waterways. (Also Read | The fake love story of Nancy Pelosi and Chinese journalist Hu Xijin)
Here are the latest updates from Pelosi’s Taiwan visit:
China is expected to begin its 4-day military exercises at 9.30am IST (0400 GMT) which will involve “training activities including live-fire drills”, according to an announcement in state media. It will take place in multiple zones encircling Taiwan and will conclude at midday on Sunday.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday its website was subject to cyber attacks and went offline temporarily, days after several of its government websites suffered similar attacks. Taiwan claimed that some of them were launched by China and Russia.
The Group of Seven advanced economies condemned the announced military drills, saying “there is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait”. It stressed that China’s “escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilising the region.”
Two unidentified aircraft, probably drones, flew Wednesday night above the area of Taiwan’s Kinmen islands, said the defence ministry, adding that it fired flares to drive them away. Major General Chang Zone-sung said that the Chinese drones came in a pair and flew into the Kinmen area twice on Wednesday night, reported Reuters.
Beijing’s all-weather “friend” Pakistan has expressed its support for the ‘One-China’ policy. Pakistan foreign office wrote, “Pakistan is deeply concerned over the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait, which has serious implications for regional peace and stability.”
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Sri Lanka’s SC extends travel ban on Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the travel ban imposed on country’s former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa until August 11. Three suspects were arrested on Tuesday by the Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka for allegedly setting ablaze President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence in Colombo on July 9, according to local media reports. The details of the third suspect were not immediately available.
-
The fake love story of Nancy Pelosi and Chinese journalist Hu Xijin
An alleged wedding photo of Nancy Pelosi is currently circulating on the web. It is supposed to show the speaker of the US House of Representatives with Chinese journalist Hu Xijin. But the entire story is a fake. Among other things, there is this story, which is not to be taken entirely seriously. Seated is her also a US politician, father Thomas D’Alesandro Jr.. The other image shows young Hu Xijin.
-
If govt uses forces, Imran’s supporters will siege Islamabad: Ex-Pak minister
As the stage is all set for Thursday’s protests by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan against the Election Commission of Pakistan, former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that if the government uses force against the protestors, the nationals will siege Islamabad and there will be “severe consequences”. The ruling by Pakistan Election Commission against Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, that the party received funding from prohibited sources, has irked Khan.
-
Zelenskyy seeking ‘direct talks’ with China’s Xi to help end Ukraine war: Report
Ukraine is seeking an opportunity to speak “directly” with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help end its war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday. In an interview with SCMP, the Ukrainian leader urged China to use its outsize political and economic influence over Russia to bring an end to the fighting.
-
Elon Musk’s Twitter countersuit due by Friday as acrimony grows
Twitter Inc and Elon Musk, who are suing each other over the world’s richest person’s effort to exit their $44 billion merger, couldn’t even agree on how much to tell the public about their dispute. The presiding judge, Chancellor Kathleen McCormick of Delaware Chancery Court, ruled on Wednesday that Musk’s countersuit shall be made public by the afternoon of Aug. 5, two days later than Musk wanted.