China halts US climate talks as Taiwan fallout worsens

China has halted talks with the US on climate change and announced sanctions against US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, as the fallout from Pelosi's visit to Taiwan sends bilateral relations to a new low.

Discussions on climate change have been suspended and some military dialogues have been cancelled, China's foreign ministry said late on 5 August. The measures were announced in response to Pelosi's trip to Taipei earlier this week, which came despite China's "strong opposition and serious representations", it said.

US-China relations have worsened in recent years, particularly under the administration of ex-US president Donald Trump, although climate change was one of the few areas in which some level of co-operation had continued. US presidential climate envoy John Kerry in late May praised the joint US-China climate working group on methane reduction and other mitigation measures, holding out hope for progress in the coming months.

The foreign ministry announcement came just hours after Beijing imposed sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family in response to what it described as "her vicious and provocative actions". This is the first time Beijing has imposed sanctions against such a senior US politician. It sanctioned some former Trump administration officials, including ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo, in January 2021, but only after they had left office.

China's furious reaction to Pelosi's visit to Taipei had already cast a shadow over any efforts by Beijing and Washington to improve relations. The trip is an infringement of Chinese sovereignty and a major political provocation, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on 3 August.

The People's Liberation Army launched military drills in the Taiwan strait on 2 August. It fired a volley of ballistic missiles on 4 August, some of which landed in waters that form part of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese Defence Ministry said. Several of the missiles may also have flown over Taiwan itself, it said, although this has not been confirmed by Taipei.

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan. The US maintains economic and security ties with Taipei while recognising the People's Republic of China as the sole Chinese government and acknowledging Beijing's view that Taiwan is an integral part of China.

By Kevin Foster