China to conduct 鈥榬egular鈥� military drills east of Taiwan Strait median line: state media

China raged at US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, ripping up series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington. (Reuters)
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  • China has deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles around Taiwan
  • Taiwan resumed flights through its airspace after Chinese military drills

BEIJING: The Chinese military will from now on conduct 鈥渞egular鈥� drills on the eastern side of the median line of the Taiwan Strait, Chinese state television reported on Sunday, citing a commentator.
The median line in the narrow strait between the island of Taiwan and mainland China is an unofficial line of control that military aircraft and battleships from either side normally do not cross.
The median line has never been legally recognized, and is an 鈥渋maginary鈥� line drawn up by the US military for their combat requirements in the previous century, according to the state television commentator.

Earlier, China鈥檚 largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan drew to a close on Sunday following a controversial visit last week to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi 鈥� the second in the line of succession to the US presidency 鈥� ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense.
It has also deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles around Taiwan in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade and ultimate invasion of the island.
Those exercises were set to end Sunday, though Beijing has announced fresh drills in the Yellow Sea 鈥� located between China and the Korean peninsula 鈥� to take place until August 15.
Taiwan鈥檚 transport ministry said six of the seven 鈥渢emporary danger zones鈥� China warned airlines to avoid ceased to be in effect as of noon on Sunday, signalling a drawdown of the drills.
It said the seventh zone, in waters east of Taiwan, would remain in effect until 10:00 am (0300 GMT) local time on Monday.
鈥淩elevant flights and sailings can gradually resume,鈥� the ministry said in a statement.
Taipei said some routes were still being affected in the seventh area, and authorities would continue to monitor ship movements there.
Earlier on Sunday, Beijing conducted 鈥減ractical joint exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan Island as planned,鈥� the Chinese military鈥檚 Eastern Command said.
The drills were focused 鈥渙n testing the joint firepower on the ground and long-range air strike capabilities,鈥� it added.
Taipei鈥檚 defense ministry also confirmed that China had dispatched 鈥減lanes, vessels and drones鈥� around the Taiwan Strait, 鈥渟imulating attacks on Taiwan鈥檚 main island and on ships in our waters.鈥�
Beijing also sent drones over Taiwan鈥檚 outlying islands, it added.
In response, the democratic island said it mobilized a 鈥渏oint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system to closely monitor the enemy situation鈥� as well as sending planes and vessels.
China鈥檚 defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the expected conclusion of the drills on Sunday.
To show how close China鈥檚 forces have been getting to Taiwan鈥檚 shores, Beijing鈥檚 military released a video of an air force pilot filming the island鈥檚 coastline and mountains from his cockpit.
And the Eastern Command of the Chinese army shared a photo it said was taken of a warship patrolling seas near Taiwan with the island鈥檚 shoreline visible in the background.
The drills have also seen Beijing fire ballistic missiles over Taiwan鈥檚 capital, according to Chinese state media.
Taipei has remained defiant throughout China鈥檚 sabre-rattling, insisting it will not be cowed by its 鈥渆vil neighbor.鈥�
Taiwan鈥檚 foreign ministry urged Beijing on Saturday to 鈥渋mmediately stop raising tensions and taking provocative actions to intimidate the Taiwanese people.鈥�
But experts have warned the drills reveal an increasingly emboldened Chinese military capable of carrying out a gruelling blockade of the self-ruled island as well as obstructing US forces from coming to its aid.
鈥淚n some areas, the PLA might even surpass US capabilities,鈥� Grant Newsham, a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies and former US Navy officer, told AFP, referring to China鈥檚 military by its official name.
鈥淚f the battle is confined to the area right around Taiwan, today鈥檚 Chinese navy is a dangerous opponent 鈥� and if the Americans and Japanese do not intervene for some reason, things would be difficult for Taiwan.鈥�
The scale and intensity of China鈥檚 drills 鈥� as well as Beijing鈥檚 withdrawal from key talks on climate and defense 鈥� have triggered outrage in the United States and other democracies.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meeting with his Philippine counterpart on Saturday, said Washington was 鈥渄etermined to act responsibly鈥� to avoid a major global crisis.
China should not hold talks on issues of global concern such as climate change 鈥渉ostage,鈥� Blinken said, as it 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 punish the United States, it punishes the world.鈥�
The United Nations has also urged the two superpowers to continue to work together.
鈥淔or the secretary-general, there is no way to solve the most pressing problems of all the world without an effective dialogue and cooperation between the two countries,鈥� his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.