Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday that five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed in the exclusive economic zone of Japan.

China started its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan on Thursday after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the island nation.

Ms Pelosi left Taiwan on a US Air Force jet on Wednesday, concluding a historic and high-stakes visit that drew a slew of angry responses from China.

On Thursday, Ms Pelosi met South Korean National Assembly speaker Kim Jin Pyo and other senior members of Parliament for talks on regional security, economic cooperation and climate issues.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense released a map showing what it believes are the trajectories of nine Chinese missiles fired in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters that China’s reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan — which included holding military drills and lobbing missiles around the Taiwan Strait — was within the nation’s rights.

“The tension in the region and around Taiwan was provoked… by the visit of Nancy Pelosi.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense issued a statement on Thursday claiming that China had fired nine missiles, including five that landed in its economic exclusion zone.

The Japanese government has condemned China’s actions, which come as a result of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is due to travel to Japan after visiting Taiwan and South Korea.

The five missiles that landed in Japanese territory were from those exercises, the Japan Times said.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence has accused China of firing 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles into waters to the northeast and southwest of the island as part of aggressive military drills intended as an intimidating show of force.

Tensions in the region have escalated considerably following a visit to Taiwan this week by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, third in line to the presidency and the most senior American politician to visit the country in 25 years.

US House speaker Nancy Pelosi avoided making a direct mention of China and Taiwan on Thursday as she reached Seoul and met South Korean political leaders on the next leg of her Asia tour, in a sign of Washington abstaining from stoking further regional tensions with Beijing.

On Thursday morning, Taiwan accused China of firing ballistic missiles in unprecedented military drills in the waters surrounding the self-ruled island nation as Beijing kick-started hefty military exercises in six zones around Taiwan.

The Defence Ministry of Taiwan tweeted on Thursday morning that China “has launched multiple [Dongfeng] ballistic missiles at our NE and SW waters since” 1.56pm local time?

Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday that five ballistic missiles fired by China appear to have landed in the exclusive economic zone of Japan?

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island