The median line is an unofficial but once largely adhered-to border that runs down the middle of the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and China.

As well as earlier announcing that it would impose sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following her visit to Taiwan, China’s foreign ministry is announcing the withdrawal of joint cooperation with the US on a range of issues.

Reuters reports that the official Weibo account of the Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has stated that China’s military conducted air and sea combat drills to the north, southwest and east of Taiwan, and continues “to test the troops’ joint combat capabilities.”.

Reuters reports that in a statement from China’s foreign ministry today, it says Jim Nickel was summoned on Thursday by Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng who informed him Canada should “immediately correct its mistakes” on the issue of Taiwan or “bear all consequences”.

“We condemned the PRC’s military actions, which are irresponsible and at odds with our long-standing goal of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” A démarche is a protest lodged through diplomatic channels.

In the article, titled Why China objects to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Qin Gang wrote:.

Traveling in a military aircraft, Pelosi paid a high-profile “official visit to Taiwan” this week, as her office described it in her arrival statement, and was given full-protocol treatment by Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities, who make no secret of pursuing independence in their party platform.

… insisted on going to Taiwan in disregard of China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs, seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously trampling on the one-China principle, and seriously threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan strait.

Australia’s foreign secretary Penny Wong has described China’s actions as “disproportionate and destabilising”.

Tokyo protested to Beijing yesterday after Japan said five of the missiles China fired in its military exercises on Thursday landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

A source in Taiwan has given an anonymous briefing to Reuters, which reports that “around 10 Chinese navy ships crossed the median line and remained in the area on Friday morning, and about 20 Chinese military aircraft briefly crossed the median line.”.

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida has called for the “immediate cancellation” of China’s military exercises aimed at the Taiwan strait.

It confirms that it has used alert broadcasts, aircraft, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in its response after “multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan strait”

Multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan Strait and have crossed the median line

On the Chinese coast across from Taiwan, tourists gathered on Friday to try to catch a glimpse of any military aircraft heading toward the “military exercise” area

Our government and military are closely monitoring China’s military exercises and information warfare operations, ready to respond as necessary