China halts cooperation with US on climate change and suspends military dialogue

The measures are the latest in a series of steps that China vowed to take to punish Washington

China says it is suspending all cooperation with the US on climate change, as well as halting high-level military dialogue, as part of a raft of responses to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that the suspensions were among eight specific measures against the US that Beijing was adopting.

Dialogue between area commanders and defence department heads would be cancelled, along with talks on military maritime safety, the foreign ministry said.

Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime and illegal drugs would also be suspended, it said.

The measures are the latest in a series of steps that China is taking to punish Washington after US House of Representatives speaker Ms Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.

China is also continuing with the unprecedented military exercises in six zones surrounding Taiwan that began on Thursday morning, which have led to disruption of trade routes and international flights as Taipei looks for alternate options.

Missiles were also fired directly over the Taiwanese capital on Friday, defence officials told state media, a significant escalation.

China opposes the self-governing island having its own engagements with foreign governments, saying such interactions amount to international support for the Taiwanese government as it seeks to formalise its independence.