Chinese military exercises, according to Taiwan, simulate an attack on its main island

In response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, Beijing intensified its retribution on Saturday and announced a suspension of cooperation with the US on critical areas. Taiwan accused China of simulating an attack on its main island.
Following Pelosi’s visit to China’s neighbouring, self-governing province that it claims as its own, relations between the two nations have taken a tumble, triggering calls from the UN for an urgent de-escalation of relations.

The newest victim of the geopolitical squabble, Beijing announced Friday, was the environment. Beijing and Washington had agreed to a number of conversations and cooperation agreements, most notably on climate change and defence cooperation.

The two biggest polluters in the world had agreed to cooperate to speed up climate action this decade and to meet frequently to address the catastrophe, but that agreement is now in doubt.

Analysts believe that on Saturday, Beijing continued some of the biggest military exercises it has ever conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan. These drills are intended to simulate a blockade and eventual invasion of the island.

Taipei claimed to have seen “several” Chinese ships and aircraft operating in the Taiwan Strait, believing they were acting out an assault on the main island of the self-governing democracy.

According to a statement from its defence ministry, “several batches of Communist planes and ships performing actions across the Taiwan Strait, some of which breached the median line,” referring to a demarcation line that runs across the Taiwan Strait but that Beijing does not recognise.

Beijing’s military tonight posted a video of an air force pilot shooting the island’s shoreline and mountains from his cockpit in an effort to highlight exactly how close China’s forces have been coming to Taiwan’s coasts.

Beijing also announced that from Saturday until August 15 a live-fire exercise would be conducted in the southern Yellow Sea, which is situated between China and the Korean peninsula.

If true, it would be a significant escalation to have Chinese missiles fly straight over Taiwan during the exercises, according to CCTV, the public broadcaster of China.

Insisting that it will not be intimidated by its “evil neighbour,” Taipei has stayed defiant.

Punishing everyone on Earth

The size and ferocity of China’s drills have outraged the US and other democracies, and the White House on Friday summoned Beijing’s ambassador to Washington to denounce Beijing’s conduct.