Japan lodges diplomatic protest with Beijing 

As China continues to defy a global outcry and carries on with military drills around Taiwan for a second day. Taiwan military has now called Beijing's latest drills as highly provocative. 

China's foreign ministry on Friday (July 5) said Japanese officials were "behaving very badly" over recent statements on the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait, two days after United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to Taiwan.

"Your leaders have recently behaved very badly over the Taiwan issue... Japan bears a serious historical responsibility on the Taiwan issue, and Japan is not qualified to say anything to China on the Taiwan issue," ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing in Beijing.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it has imposed sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her visit to Taiwan even as the island nation slammed the military drills.  China fired ballistic missiles and deployed both fighter jets and warships around Taiwan for the second consecutive day. The People's Liberation Army declared "no-go danger" zones around Taiwan as Chinese warships reportedly came within 12 miles of the island's shores. State-run Xinhua news agency had informed the Chinese military had flown "more than 100 warplanes including fighters and bombers" during the exercise on Thursday.

Three French Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi on a runway in front of a hangar at the Hsinchu Air Base in Taiwan.

As China began its military drills near Taiwan for the second day on Friday, Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong said the exercises were "disproportionate and destabilising" while declaring that it is deeply concerned about the launch of ballistic missiles by China. Wong is currently attending the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh.

"Australia shares the region's concerns about this escalating military activity, especially the risks of miscalculation," Wong said.

A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan island one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan in Fujian province. Taiwan said Chinese fighter jets and ships crossed the median line that runs down the Taiwan Strait. China has been holding huge drills since Thursday, a day after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island nation.

"As of 11am, multiple batches of Chinese warplanes and warships conducted exercises around the Taiwan Strait and crossed the median line of the Strait," the defence ministry said in a statement, adding," 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."

As China began its military exercise near Taiwan, Japan said it impacts national security of the country and seriously affects the safety of its citizens. The Communist regime began live-fire drills in Taiwan Strait after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left the island nation angering China. Reports claim Chinese missiles fell in Japan's exclusive economic zone worrying officials as Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for "immediate cancellation" of the Chinese military exercise. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Tokyo while completing the final leg of her visit in the region amid the Chinese military exercise. 

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Opinion: Escalating big power contest on Taiwan: Can it lead to war?

With unprecedented military posturing by China, live missile fire east of Taiwan close to its coastline, and US aircraft carrier and maritime forces located not too far, the situation is tense and prone to accidental trigger causing escalation.

It does not make any strategic sense for China to invade Taiwan, as it has all the negatives except false bravado, with bright chances of loss of face globally and domestically, in case the operations fail; hence, likely to contend with activities short of war.

Read full Opinion by Maj Gen S B Asthana,SM,VSM (Retd)

People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command photo shows a missile being fired during Chinese military exercise.

China fired ballistic missiles and deployed fighter jets as it held its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's left Taiwan.

Where did she go straight from Taiwan?

Following her well publicised travel to Taiwan, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in South Korea on Thursday, where she had visits to the North Korean border on her itinerary

Watch| China's Taiwan drills: The message for India

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visits the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

'Not about changing status quo': Pelosi lashes out at China during Japan visit

"They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting but they will not isolate Taiwan from us," the US House Speaker said in a stern warning to China.

Pelosi emphasised that US-Taiwan friendship was "important" while stating that it was an "honour" to meet the Taiwan delegation during her visit.

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Did the South Korean president avoid Nancy Pelosi to appease China?

The South Korean president has been accused of avoiding Pelosi in order to appease China.

As per reports, Yoon had planned a summer holiday even before Pelosi's visit was announced. The reports also mentioned that the South Korean leader is in Seoul. 

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