China has announced a ban on ships entering an area north of Taiwan due to possible rocket wreckage. The area will be closed from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday, and vessels are forbidden to enter during that time. This comes after China conducted military drills near the self-ruled island. Taiwan’s transport ministry said that China planned to impose a no-fly zone north of the island due to “space activities”, which will be enforced from 9:30 am to 9:57 am on Sunday.
China had initially planned a three-day shutdown but had relented following objections from Taiwanese authorities. It is unclear what link, if any, exists between the restricted zone and Beijing’s recent war games. Beijing on Monday announced the end of three days of military drills around Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize.
The United States, Taiwan’s main security ally, repeatedly called for Beijing to show restraint in response to Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the US last week. Washington later sent a guided-missile destroyer through contested parts of the South China Sea under what it called a “freedom of navigation operation”.
