The holiday spot with a clear view of China’s post-Pelosi Taiwan Strait military drills

Pingtan Island usually attracts sunseekers with its beaches and reefs but this week the fun in the sun includes missile fire

The PLA exercises are part of Beijing’s response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan

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Tourists on Pingtan Island take in smoke trails from projectiles launched by the PLA on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:58pm, 4 Aug 2022

The hum of holiday vibes and selfie-snapping are interrupted by the roar of explosions as projectiles shoot up into the sky, prompting oohs and aahs from the surprised tourists.

Visitors to Pingtan Island, a popular destination with sea and reefs that attract thousands of visitors every summer, have been granted a front-row seat to Beijing’s latest fury at Taiwan.

The unprecedented military exercises are a response to this week’s visit to the self-ruled island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – seen by Beijing as a major provocation.

Tourists look on as a mainland Chinese military helicopter flies past Pingtan Island on Thursday. Photo: AFP

The closest point in mainland China to Taiwan, about 125km (77 miles) away across the strait, Pingtan lies on the front lines.

Tourists in shorts, T-shirts and caps defy the 38 degree Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature and crowd on the eastern tip of the island.

But the afternoon beach fun is swiftly punctuated by the boom of missile fire across the Taiwan Strait, sending tourists’ heads spinning.

Their cameras swiftly shift from documenting family fun to the latest geopolitical missive between Beijing and Taipei, facing the azure sky to capture the projectiles soaring from military installations located only a few kilometres away.