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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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 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.
“It’s a little worrying all that ... come on, let’s go,” a woman carrying a parasol to protect herself from the sun told her friends as other anxious tourists broke camp.
06:03
US House Speaker Pelosi meets Taiwanese president, officials and activists on controversial visit
Further on, another group of tourists arrive to find out what all the commotion is about.
“We suddenly heard a huge noise. It surprised us at the time!” a student who came with friends and who introduces himself as Jack, said.
“If we were scared? Not at all.”
The mainland military manoeuvres, which are taking place in six maritime areas around Taiwan, began at noon on Thursday and will continue until the same time on Sunday.
