The Chinese army began military exercises, Thursday, using live ammunition in the waters and airspace around Taiwan, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on China not to overreact to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
China fired multiple missiles near Taiwan Thursday in its largest military exercise to date in the Taiwan Strait, a day after Pelosi's visit.
In response to Chinese military exercises near the island, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan would not ignite conflicts but would vigorously defend its sovereignty and national security.
In turn, the Taiwan Ministry of Defense said that the island quickly sent fighter planes to warn Chinese planes that entered its air defense zone.
A ministry statement said all 22 Chinese combat aircraft had crossed the dividing line dividing the Taiwan Strait.
In this context, the Japanese Ministry of Defense suggested that four of the five Chinese ballistic missiles, which appear to have fallen in Japan's exclusive economic zone, have flown "over the main island of Taiwan."
Earlier, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said that his country had "presented a protest to China through diplomatic channels," describing the matter as "a serious problem that affects our national security and the safety of our citizens."
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that China should not overreact to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
"There is no reason in Nancy Pelosi's visit for China to overreact, threaten Taiwan or use the language of threats," Stoltenberg told Reuters.
"Senior officials from the United States and other NATO countries have visited Taiwan regularly over the years, so this (Pelosi's visit) is not an excuse for China to overreact," Stoltenberg said.
China launched multiple missiles near Taiwan on Thursday in its largest military exercise to date in the Taiwan Strait, a day after Pelosi's visit.
On Tuesday, the Chinese army announced that it will conduct military exercises and live-fire exercises for four days in 6 regions surrounding Taiwan, starting Thursday, in response to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
For many years, Taipei was the official representative of China, until the United Nations turned to Beijing in 1971 and other countries and international organizations followed suit.
Diplomatically, the United States recognizes China's authority over Taiwan, but Beijing resents the close ties between Washington and the self-ruled island that China considers an integral part of its territory.
Taiwan uses its own flag and its local currency, but the United Nations does not recognize it as an independent state, while Beijing threatens to use force if Taipei declares independence or an external military intervention takes place in its favour.