"There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally," the statement said . In an effort to calm matters, the foreign ministers of the G7 nations - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US - released a joint statement saying China's escalation risked destabilising the region. Taiwan has asked ships to find alternative routes to avoid the drills and is negotiating with neighbouring Japan and the Philippines to find alternative aviation routes. China is gearing up for military exercises in the seas around Taiwan following top US politician Nancy Pelosi's trip to the island.

Source: Washington Post August 04, 2022 02:19 UTC