Beijing Makes Its Anger Clear

China showed its huge military might in response to Nancy Pelosi's visit but in Taipei calm prevailed

- Helen Davidson

Things changed When news of last week for Taiwan. a highly controversial visit by the US speaker, Nancy Pelosi, drew threats of reprisals from Beijing, most citizens shrugged. China frequently fulminates over foreign visits to Taiwan, which it claims is a Chinese province it will soon retake, and with which it tries to stop any international cooperation. Its regular promises of countermeasures rarely exceed some People's Liberation Army jets flying in and out of Taiwan's large air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

But analysts warned that this time looked different. Beijing's protests were louder and more threatening, and gave little room for either it or the US to retreat without losing credibility. This time, it would have to follow through with something bigger, they said. China did.

Dramatic escalation

Shortly after Pelosi arrived, Beijing announced military drills in six sea areas surrounding the main island of Taiwan, starting the morning after her departure and scheduled to end last Sunday. The plan was unprecedented in how close the zones were to Taiwan, including some that overlapped Taiwan's territorial waters stretching 12km out from its coastline.

Pelosi addressed parliament and met the president, senior ministers, dignitaries and officials last Wednesday before flying out that afternoon.

Thursday morning began with reports of multiple warplane incursions into the ADIZ, and cyberattacks targeting the websites of the president's office and the ministries of foreign affairs and defence. Signboards at railway stations and in-store screens at the ubiquitous 7-Eleven stores were also hacked, to display messages calling Pelosi a warmonger in the simplified Chinese text used in China.