It followed China firing five missiles over Taiwan which landed in the ocean in Japan’s economic zone,bringing Tokyo directly into the dispute.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Saturday morning multiple Chinese ships and planes conducted missions in the Taiwan Strait,with some crossing that divides the democratically governed island from its superpower neighbour.
Taiwan’s army broadcast a warning and deployed air reconnaissance patrol forces and ships to monitor while putting shore-based missiles on standby.
After Wong met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Cambodia,the three issued a joint statement urging all parties to “avoid the risks of miscalculation”.
“Things are getting much riskier in South China Sea and Taiwan,and if you don’t have some sort of military dialogue that’s a big problem.”
Richard McGregor,Lowy Institute senior fellow
Wong,Blinken and Hayashi said China’s recent actions “gravely affect international peace and stability,including the use of large-scale military exercises”.
They condemned Beijing’s “launch of ballistic missiles,five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones,raising tension and destabilising the region” and urged it to “immediately cease the military exercises” over the Taiwan Strait.