China-Taiwan news: Top Taiwan official found dead as China accused of attack simulation

Official had assumed charge to lead various missile production projects that sought to nearly double output

Missiles fired from Chinese coast amid Taiwan tensions

A top Taiwanese defence ministry official was found dead on Saturday as the self-governing territory accused China of carrying out a “simulated attack” with the country’s warships and planes conducting missions in the Taiwan Strait.

Ou Yang Li-hsing, the deputy head of the Taiwan defence ministry’s research and development unit, died from a heart attack on Saturday in his hotel room, reported state media.

The room had no signs of ‘intrusion’ and his family had a history of heart disease, said the official Central News Agency.

Meanwhile, the defence ministry tweeted on Saturday that multiple Chinese craft conducted missions in the Taiwan Strait, with some crossing the median line which is an unofficial buffer separating the two sides in what it sees as a “possible simulated attack.”

The developments come as Beijing continues its military offensive as it fired multiple ballistic missiles in the direction of Taiwan, four of which flew directly over the capital city Taipei.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken slammed China’s military exercises, saying there was no justification for Beijing’s “extreme disproportionate and escalatory” response.

The statement came as Ms Pelosi reasserted America’s support for Taiwan, saying that China will not be able to isolate the island by preventing US officials from travelling there.

Key points

• China halts cooperation with US on climate change and suspends military dialogue
• China fires ballistic missiles directly over Taipei in major escalation
• China sanctions US House speaker Nancy Pelosi
• No justification for China’s ‘extreme disproportionate and escalatory’ response, says Blinken
• Pelosi: Asian trip ‘is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan’
• China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing US officials from travelling there, says Pelosi
• Kishida: China’s military exercise aimed at Taiwan ‘grave problem’ threatening regional peace

[5 August 2022 16:02 · Graig Graziosi]

Taiwan estimates nearly 50 Chinese jets crossed median line on Friday

The defense ministry in Taiwan issued a statement claiming that 49 Chinese jets apparently crossed the “median line,” which serves as an unofficial border between the island and China.

All 49 jets reportedly crossed over the median line before turning around and returning.

Chinest jets have been pulling similar moves since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. On Wednesday 22 Chinese jets slipped across the median line, and another 22 did so on Thursday.

[5 August 2022 16:51 · Graig Graziosi]

Chinese military spokesperson accuses US of ‘foreign aggression'

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China’s military, accused the US of participating in “foreign aggression.”

“China had historically been a victim of foreign aggression. Today, the US still grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs and attempts to undermine China’s sovereignty and security from time to time,” she said on Twitter. “If the US is indeed a responsible country, it should have prevented #Pelosi‘s irresponsible aggression early on and it should have removed the many military vessels and aircraft it has deployed right at China’s doorstep.”

She said the US was using “salami tactics” — an accusation that European analysts have lobbed at China in the past — to “hollow out the One China principle.”

[5 August 2022 18:11 · Graig Graziosi]

Taiwan deploys ships, missile defence systems to monitor Chinese aircraft near the island

Reuters reports that Taiwan’s defence ministry deployed aircraft, ships, and missile defense systems on Friday in response to China’s live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait.

Officials said those defenses were mobilised to monitor Chinese jets that once again crossed the median line between the island and the mainland on Friday.

[5 August 2022 19:09 · Graig Graziosi]

Chinese foreign minister cancels talks with Japanese official, accuses US of spreading misinformation

On Friday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi walked out of a conference meeting of Asian countries during the speech of Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. He then cancelled a meeting with Mr Hayashi, who he claimed may have had a “guilty conscience” for not supporting China’s reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

“If the Japanese side has some concern about this, then I am afraid the Japanese side should think about whether they have done something very wrong to China,” he said during a press conference after his walkout. “If you have not done anything wrong to China, why are you worried about this?”

He also accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of spreading misinformation and said that China’s response was “firm, forceful, and appropriate.”

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign affairs minister, also left Mr Hayashi’s speech alongside his Chinese counterpart.

Mr Hayashi later told reporters that Japan is always willing to have discussions with China.

[5 August 2022 19:58 · Graig Graziosi]

NSC spokesman Admiral John Kirby calls China ‘irresponsible’ for backing out of climate agreements

National Security Council spokesman Admiral John Kirby told reporters that China’s decision to back out of climate agreements with the US over House Speak Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was “fundamentally irresponsible.”

Mr Kirby said the Chinese decision to suspend talks hurts the “whole world.”

“They think they’re punishing us by shutting down this channel,” Mr Kirby said. “They’re actually punishing the whole world because the climate crisis doesn’t recognize geographic boundaries and borders.”

[5 August 2022 20:56 · Graig Graziosi]

Apple acquiesces to Chinese labelling demands, ensuring no products headed for China are labelled ‘Made in Taiwan’

Apple told suppliers that any merchandise heading from Taiwan to China be labeled in accordance with Chinese customs preferences.

This means that all mechandise leaving the island for China will have to be labelled “Made in Taiwan, China” or “Made in Chinese Taipei.”

Nikkei Asia reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan “stoked fears of rising trade barriers,” which apaprently spooked Apple. The company fears “possible disruptions” if China decides to block products in customs for not adhering to its labelling demands.

[5 August 2022 22:00 · Graig Graziosi]

Full story: How airlines are cancelling and re-routing flights amid Chinese drills

Several airlines have cancelled or re-routed flights to Taipei this week, as China carries out its unprecedented military drills surrounding Taiwan.

Read the details in this report from my colleague Lucy Thackray:

[5 August 2022 23:00 · Graig Graziosi]

ICYMI: China summons Canadian diplomat over G7 statement on Taiwan

China’s foreign ministry said that it summoned Beijing-based Canadian diplomat Jim Nickel over Canada’s participation in a statement issued by the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations.

This is the latest in a string of diplomatic complaints made by Beijing after the G7 called on China on Wednesday to resolve tension around the Taiwan Strait in a peaceful manner.

Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng summoned Mr Nickel yesterday and urged Canada to “immediately correct its mistakes” on the issue of Taiwan or “bear all consequences”, according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement published today.

[6 August 2022 00:00 · Graig Graziosi]

Beijing halts high-level military dialogue with US, suspends other cooperation

Beijing said it was halting cooperation with America in a number of areas, including dialogue between senior-level military commanders, in retaliation for the visit this week to Taiwan by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China’s foreign ministry also said in a statement that it was halting climate talks with the US, as well as cooperation on cross-border crime prevention and on repatriating illegal migrants, among eight specific measures.

[6 August 2022 01:00 · Graig Graziosi]

Taiwan’s foreign minister defends Pelosi’s visit

Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu defended US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s brief visit to the island as “extremely significant”.

“China has long been trying to isolate Taiwan internationally,” Mr Wu told the BBC. “For an important leader like Speaker Pelosi to have the opportunity to visit Taiwan is very significant. To raise the profile of Taiwan and to allow the international community to understand that Taiwan is a democracy.”

He asserted that the island state wants to maintain the status quo “which is that Taiwan has no jurisdiction over mainland China and the People’s Republic of China (CCP) has no jurisdiction over Taiwan. That is the reality.”