Taiwan Braces For China Blockade After US Visit

Taiwan braces for live-fire drills and blockade by China as tension mounts

- Helen Davidson Taipei Vincent Ni

Taiwan was last night braced for a series of unprecedented live-fire drills by China that would in effect leave it blockaded, just hours after the departure of US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week has sparked fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait.

Taiwan has characterised the drills, which will last until Sunday - and will include missile tests and other "military operations" as close as nine miles to Taiwan's coastline - as a violation of international law.

Ahead of the drills, it said 27 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone.

Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night under intense global scrutiny and was met by the foreign minister, Joseph Wu, and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.

She addressed Taiwan's parliament yesterday before having public and private meetings with the president, Tsai Ing-wen.

"Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship," Pelosi said yesterday when she was given Taiwan's highest civilian order by Tsai.

She said US solidarity with Taiwan was "crucial" in facing an increasingly authoritarian China.