China is holding its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, which it considers its territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if necessary.
The show of military might was sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island, despite stern warnings from Beijing.
Pelosi’s plane touched down in Japan on Thursday for the final stop on her Asian tour.
AFP reporters saw the aircraft land at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, with Pelosi arriving from South Korea.
Parts of Japan’s southernmost island region Okinawa are close to Taiwan. Kishi said it was the first time Chinese ballistic missiles had landed in Japan’s EEZ.
The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan’s coastline, beyond the limits of its territorial waters.
The figure of nine missiles fired was an assessment by the Japanese side, Kishi said, adding that the five appeared to have landed southwest of Okinawa’s Hateruma island.
Source: CNA
