China has launched its biggest ever live-fire military drills around Taiwan as its warships encircled the island with missiles due to be fired over it for the first time, amid warnings a single miscalculation could spiral into all-out war.
Beijing opened fire with 11 ballistic missiles around 2pm local time that flew across the Taiwan Strait and landed in waters to the north east and south west of the island, Taipei's defence ministry said - as video released by Chinese state media showed the weapons being launched. Hypersonic missiles are also due to feature in the drills.
The exercises will last until Sunday and are due to include J-20 stealth fighters, long-range bombers, and China's most up-to-date corvettes and destroyers in what state media says is a rehearsal for an invasion. Beijing's two aircraft carriers - the Liaoning and Shandong - have also taken up positions nearby.
Foreign ministers from the ASEAN group of nations which share the eastern Pacific with China and Taiwan have urged 'restraint' today, saying the war games 'could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers.'
American forces - including the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier which is forward-deployed with the Pacific Fleet - are thought to be lurking nearby, while missile-tracking spy planes have been sent to watch over the drills.
Meanwhile Lu Shaye, China's diplomat to France, accused Taiwan of spreading 'propaganda' among its population that has made people opposed to 'reunification' with China - though the Communists have never ruled Taiwan - and said ominously that 're-education' will be necessary after the territory is conquered.
Xi Jinping announced the exercises using US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to the island - which took place from Tuesday and Wednesday - as an excuse. She is the most-senior politician to visit since Newt Gingrich in 1997, but her trip came shortly after a Senate delegation visit drew no response.
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