Japanese Airlines Alter Flight Routes Over Chinese Military Drills, Reports Say

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Large Japanese airlines and shipping companies decided not to cancel August 4 flights despite large-scale military exercises of the Chinese army in waters around Taiwan, but are going to alter their routes, the Kyodo news agency reported.

On Thursday, the Chinese army began conducting long-range live-fire exercises in six water zones and airspace off Taiwan in response to the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island. The drills will carry on until 12 p.m. local time (04:00 GMT) of Sunday.

For security reasons China will close off the zones of the drills to ships and aircraft, according to official Xinhua news agency.

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region, brushing aside private warnings from the Biden administration about the risk that her high-profile diplomatic visit could bring.

China claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and has repeatedly warned that by pursuing the trip Washington would jeopardize US-China bilateral relations.