China's military announced it has completed its largest ever military drills around Taiwan but will conduct regular patrols following
In a brief statement, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command says its series of joint military operations in the sea and airspace around Taiwan had "successfully completed various tasks and effectively tested the integrated combat capabilities of the troops".
China, furious at a visit to Taipei last week by Ms Pelosi, had extended its it claims as its own beyond the originally scheduled four days.
The drills last week included ballistic missile launches, some of which flew over the island's capital Taipei, and simulated sea and air attacks in the skies and waters around Taiwan.
"Theatre forces will keep an eye on the changes in the situation in the Taiwan Strait, continue to carry out training and preparation for combat, organise regular combat readiness patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Eastern Theatre Command statement said.
There was no immediate reaction from Taiwan.
A source briefed on the matter told Reuters earlier on Wednesday that Chinese navy ships remained active off both Taiwan's east and west coasts.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Chinese navy activities near the median line continued along the unofficial buffer in the Taiwan Strait.
China's military drills followed a visit from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Source: AAP / AP / Lin Jian
Video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday showed Chinese fighter jets scrambling and refuelling mid-air, as well as navy ships on what it said were drills around Taiwan.
The Eastern Theatre Command said the drills were focused on blockades and resupply logistics, "under a complex electromagnetic environment to refine joint containment and control capabilities", according to CCTV.
Andrew Hsia, deputy chairman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan's main opposition party, flew to China on Wednesday for what his party said was a pre-arranged trip to meet Taiwanese businesspeople.
Mr Hsia told reporters he was not going to Beijing and did not have any official meetings arranged.
However, Taiwan's government expressed "regret" at the trip coming amid the Chinese drills.
"At this moment, the Kuomintang still insisted on going to China, disappointing our people," Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said.
Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said on Tuesday that China was using the military drills as a game-plan to prepare for an invasion of the democratically governed island.
Ms Pelosi, a long-time China critic and a political ally of US President Joe Biden, visited Taiwan last week on the highest-level visit to the island by an American official in decades, despite Chinese warnings. She said her visit showed unwavering US commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy.
China says its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter and it reserves the right to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. Taiwan rejects China's claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
