China's military drills draw to a close

China's largest-ever military exercises surrounding Taiwan were drawing to a close on Sunday following a controversial visit last week to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi — the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in decades — ripping up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defence. Those exercises were supposed to end on Sunday, but neither Beijing nor Taipei confirmed their conclusion.

"For information about another country's military exercises we suggest you please ask the country conducting them to explain," a Taiwan defence ministry official told reporters in a text message.

China's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the expected conclusion of the drills on Sunday.

Taiwan's transport ministry said six of the seven "temporary danger zones" China had warned airlines to avoid ceased to be in effect as of noon on Sunday, signalling a partial drawdown of the drills. It said the seventh zone, in waters east of Taiwan, would remain in effect until 10am local time on Monday.

"Relevant flights and sailings can gradually resume," the ministry said in a statement.

Taipei said some routes were still affected in the seventh area, and authorities would continue to monitor ship movements there. Beijing has also announced fresh drills in the Yellow Sea — located between China and the Korean peninsula — to take place until August 15.

Earlier on Sunday, Beijing conducted "exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Taiwan Island as planned", the Chinese military's Eastern Command said. Taipei's defence ministry confirmed China had dispatched "planes, vessels and drones... simulating attacks on Taiwan's main island and on ships in our waters".

It detected 66 air force planes and 14 warships operating in the Taiwan Strait, of which 22 crossed the median line and the extended area of the unofficial demarcation in the waters that separate Taiwan and China.

Beijing does not recognise that demarcation. China also sent at least one drone over Taiwan's outlying Kinmen islands, forcing troops to respond with flares, local authorities said. In response, Taiwan said it had mobilised a "joint intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance system to closely monitor the enemy situation" as well as sending planes and vessels.

An anonymously authored opinion piece published on Sunday by state broadcaster CCTV said that after these exercises, China's military would be able to stage "regular" training drills east of the median line.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "determined to act responsibly" to avoid a major global crisis.