Return now to breaking news overnight china firing missiles near taiwan the exercises following speaker nancy pelosi's trip there our four correspondent james longman is tracking the latest, after nancy pelosi left taiwan china has for the first time launched massive military drills using live fire all around the island.
chinese state media showed these pictures they show beijing launching their dung fung missiles directly into waters east north east and south west of the island taiwanese military is saying china launched 11 ballistic missiles in just a two hour period now these a long range weapons capable of traveling hundreds of miles and it's thought these military drills are likely to last three days some flights are being cancelled commercial shipping has had to be rerouted.
we're hearing reports of cyber attacks inside taiwan as well now a chinese spokeswoman has said the drills were in response to what she called collusion between the united states and taiwan now this is a self-governing democracy but china claims it as part of its own and nancy pelosi was the most senior u.s official to visit since the late 1990s now all this is concerning because it shows just how quickly china can launch these kinds of exercises and it also demonstrates what china might do in the future if it were to launch military action by essentially causing a maritime blockade.