Planes, ships and missile tests: how Beijing might react to Pelosi’s Taiwan trip

Beijing conducts military drills in Bohai Sea and South China Sea in what is seen as an effort to deter US House speaker from visiting the island

PLA destroyer and guided missile frigate enter waters east of Taiwan while US warships operate near the island

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The PLA is conducting exercises in the South China Sea and Bohai Sea ahead of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s anticipated visit to Taiwan on Tuesday. Photo: Weibo

Published: 3:22pm, 2 Aug 2022Updated: 11:51pm, 2 Aug 2022

China is conducting military exercises in the South China Sea and Bohai Sea ahead of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan on Tuesday.

According to announcements from the China Maritime Safety Administration, military training will be conducted in some waters of the South China Sea from Tuesday to Saturday, and entry is prohibited.

Meanwhile, live-fire drills will be carried out in the northern Bohai Sea, where entry is also forbidden, from Monday to Thursday.

The drills have been seen as part of the People’s Liberation Army’s efforts to deter Pelosi from visiting self-ruled Taiwan. Beijing said on Monday that it would take “firm and strong measures”, and the PLA’s theatre command overseeing the island has warned “we stand ready to fight”.

With tensions rising on the eve of Pelosi’s anticipated arrival in Taipei, White House national security spokesman John Kirby warned Beijing on Monday not to turn the trip into a crisis or conflict.

Here are some of Beijing’s possible military responses to Pelosi’s visit.

1. Send more warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence zone

Four PLA J-16 fighters were spotted in Taiwan’s southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, according to the Taiwanese defence ministry.

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