Taiwanese president calls mainland China military exercises ‘irresponsible’ as PLA missiles fly

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen issued a call for restraint as mainland China conducted its largest-ever military exercises in waters surrounding the self-ruled island. Tsai said Beijing’s decision to launch missiles into international waters and vital shipping lanes, was “irresponsible” and a “threat to the international community”. The Taiwanese leader spoke as the cross-strait crisis spilled over into Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meetings in Cambodia. Beijing officials cancelled meetings with their Japanese counterparts, and top diplomat Wang Yi walked out of Asean events including a gala dinner after Group of 7 (G7) nations released a joint statement accusing China of “destabilising the region”.