China says it is canceling or suspending dialogue with the U.S. on issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for a visit this week to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing also imposed sanctions on her.
The measures announced Friday are the latest in a promised series of steps intended to punish Washington for allowing the visit to the island it claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. China opposes the self-governing island having its own engagements with foreign governments.
For a second straight day, China dispatched warplanes and naval ships into the Taiwan Strait as part of its biggest live-fire military drills against Taiwan ever, CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.
China will "suspend the China-US climate change talks," and cancel two security meetings and a call between military leaders because of Pelosi's "disregard of China's strong opposition and stern representations," the Chinese foreign ministry said Friday, according to Agence France-Presse.
The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that fighters, bombers, destroyers and frigates were all used in what it called "joint blockage operations" in six zones off the coast of Taiwan. On Thursday, state media said China's People's Liberation Army had deployed more than 100 warplanes, 10 warships and one nuclear-powered submarine.
Before the sanctions against Pelosi being announced, she told reporters in Japan that the Chinese government would not dictate who could travel to the island.
"They may try to keep Taiwan from visiting or participating in other places. But they will not isolate Taiwan by preventing us to travel there," Pelosi said.
She later added, "We will not allow them to isolate Taiwan. They are not doing our travel schedule. The Chinese government is not doing that."
Following China's actions overnight, The White House summoned Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang to make it clear "that Beijing's actions are of concern to Taiwan, to us, and to our partners around the world," National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said in a statement Friday.