Dhaka closely following developments in Taiwan Strait: MoFA

Bangladesh is closely following the developments in the Taiwan Strait, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

Bangladesh has urged all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any actions that may aggravate tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Bangladesh reiterated her firm adherence to ‘One China’ policy and urged the parties concerned to resolve their differences in accordance with the UN Charter and through dialogue.

Tensions started brewing between China and Taiwan as Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, arrived in Taiwan on late Tuesday,

China claims Taiwan- the self-governing island - as its own territory. Pelosi’s arrival in Taipei also triggered a major crisis between China and the US.

Ahead of Pelosi’s visit, China had threatened “serious consequences” to the USA. 

“The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China’s sovereign security interests,” according to Chinese foreign ministry.

On Tuesday morning, Chinese warships and aircraft repeatedly edged into the median line of the Taiwan Strait. 

The White House on Monday warned that China’s response could include firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait, something that has not happened since the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in the mid-1990s.

Four US naval ships, including one aircraft carrier, were deployed in the waters east of Taiwan before Pelosi’s arrival.

In the latest update, China has begun live fire military drills - its biggest-ever in the region - in the waters around Taiwan following US Democrat Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit.

Some of the affected areas are just 12 miles off the island - the closest Beijing's military exercises have ever come.

Taiwan says the move, which stops ships and planes from using the space, violates its sovereignty and amounts to a blockade.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan - which lies 100 miles from the mainland - as a breakaway province that will eventually be under its control. This comes at a time when US-China tensions have been growing.

However, life is going on as normal in Taipei - people here are calm but concerned.

The main impact of the Chinese military drills is that Taiwan is now having to reroute a huge number of international flights and ships coming in and out of Taiwanese ports in the north and the south.

They have to be rerouted around the six exclusion zones China has declared around Taiwan.

This is expected to last for four days - so it's a major headache for Taiwan to deal with.

Taipei has called it a breach of UN conventions and international law - and has condemned China for declaring exclusion zones.

The Taiwanese government has also warned local companies that they need to be prepared for a large number of cyber attacks originating in China in the next few days.

So Taiwan is braced for the Chinese drills - it's on high alert and observant. It's watching what Taiwan is doing but not reacting - yet.