On August 4, 2022, the Chinese military fired missiles into the ocean close to Taiwan in response for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit. (Reuters/Chinese military)
NEW Fox News articles can now be heard on audio! In the midst of heightened international tensions in the western Pacific, China launched at least five missiles into Japanese territory on Thursday.
Five of the nine ballistic missiles that the People’s Republic of China launched on Thursday as part of an act of military aggression landed in Japanese-controlled water, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
China has never before employed missile targeting to launch an attack within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
On August 4, 2022, visitors to Pingtan Island witnessed missile launches by the Chinese military into the sea close to Taiwan. (AP via NTV Digital)
The area surrounding Japan in which it has exclusive rights to conduct activities like fishing is known as the exclusive economic zone.
International tensions have been exacerbated by the walkout and implicit threat of violence, which follows a divisive congressional delegation trip to Taiwan.
On August 4, 2022, Japan published a map showing the alleged locations of Chinese missile landings near Taiwan. (Defense Ministry of Japan)
In an effort to diffuse the situation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked to media on Thursday about the recent delegation to Taiwan.
I know a lot of people are thinking about the recent events involving Taiwan, so I want to address that,” Blinken remarked. “The Taiwan Strait should remain peaceful and stable, according to the United States. Any unilateral attempts to alter the current situation, especially those that involve using force, are rejected by our organization.”
In reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island on August 4, 2022, China’s military launched missiles into the water off eastern Taiwan. (Military of China)
The comparatively thin stretch of water that separates the island of Taiwan from the Chinese mainland is known as the Taiwan Strait, and the People’s Republic of China has long claimed sovereignty over it. Taiwan’s air defense zone has regularly been tested by numerous flights into the area by the Chinese military.
The United States maintains a “One China” policy, which acknowledges the People’s Republic of China as the rightful successor state, and has no diplomatic connections with Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China.
Fox News Digital journalist Timothy Nerozzi works there. You may email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com and follow him on Twitter at @timothynerozzi.
