China to begin live-fire military exercises near Taiwan coast in wake of Pelosi visit – as it happened

Here are some of the latest images that have been sent to us from Taiwan. Taiwan’s military is on high alert, but spectators also appear to have gathered to watch the exercises being carried out by China’s People’s Liberation Army.

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Newspapers in Taiwan have understandably put Nancy Pelosi’s visit front and centre on their front pages today.

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Reuters reports that China’s eastern theatre command has said it has completed multiple firings of conventional missiles on waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan today as part of planned exercises.

The relevant sea and airspace controls had been lifted after the firing was completed, a spokesperson at the eastern theatre command said in a statement.

4 Aug 202203.55 EDT

Helen Davidson

We earlier reported on claims of 900 rerouted flights because of the drills. Taiwan’s transportation department has clarified in local media that some of the identified zones for PLA activity – with the strong advice that air and sea craft steer clear – have impacted 18 international routes in and out of Taiwan. The department estimated this would affect about 900 flights over the three days that the drills are scheduled.

Vietnamese media reported that up to 36 Vietnam Airlines flights and 82 VietJet flights have had to adjust their routes to northeast Asia and north America to avoid the drills.

Agence France-Presse is carrying this image which shows plumes of smoke going up into the sky, which its journalists witnessed.

4 Aug 202203.39 EDT

Taiwan’s defence ministry confirms Chinese missiles fired near Matsu

Helen Davidson

Taiwan’s defence ministry appears to have confirmed those reports of missiles fired near Matsu. In a statement a short time ago it said the PLA had launched a number of Dongfeng series missiles into the waters northeast and southwest of Taiwan’s main island.

Earlier the PLA announced it had conducted long range “precision strikes” into the Taiwan Strait at 1pm, and civilian videos purportedly of projectiles launching from behind an otherwise picturesque Chinese beach in Pingtan spread across social media. The Guardian has not independently verified the footage.

We reported earlier that China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) group.

Reuters reports that, in another sign of rising tensions, China’s foreign ministry has confirmed that Wang has cancelled a planned bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Two missiles were launched by China near Taiwan’s Matsu islands, which lie off the coast of China, at about 2pm local time.

They were seen headed in the direction of the #2 and #3 drill zones previously announced by China, according to an internal Taiwan security report that has been seen by Reuters and confirmed by a security source.

• Taiwan’s military has said it is “preparing for war without seeking war”, after China’s military began an unprecedented four days of live-fire exercises close to Taiwan’s shores on Thursday, in reaction to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.

• At midday local time, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV announced the beginning of “important military training exercise and organised live fire”, which are expected to include missile tests.

• Notices of the exercises identified six areas encircling Taiwan, with warnings for all ships and aircraft to avoid the areas. Some of the zones overlap with Taiwan’s territorial waters, and are near key shipping ports. Taiwan’s defence ministry has accused China of in effect mounting a blockade.

• A Taiwanese official said about ten Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line – the informal line dividing Chinese and Taiwanese territorial waters – before they were “driven away” by Taiwanese navy boats. “They sneaked in, and were driven away by us,” they said.

• Taiwan also said multiple Chinese air force planes briefly crossed the median line several times on Thursday morning, forcing Taiwan to scramble jets and deploy missile systems to track their movement.

• Unverified video appears to show live rockets being fired from the China towards Taiwan. AFP journalists in the border island of Pingtan saw several small projectiles flying into the sky followed by plumes of white smoke and loud booming sounds.

• Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau has issued warnings to ships to avoid the areas being used. The Taiwanese cabinet said the drills would disrupt 18 international routes passing through its flight information region (FIR).

Earlier today, amid the tension of the live-fire drills around Taiwan, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, stressed his country’s efforts to strengthen ties with south-east Asian nations at a meeting with top diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Associated Press reports that in his opening marks, Wang did not mention the situation in Taiwan directly, but instead stressed how China and the ASEAN countries had strengthened cooperation in recent years.

“We have safeguarded the oasis of peace in the face of the turbulence in the international security situation,” he said.

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ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.