Australia: In response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Australia's Penny Wong on Monday called for de-escalation of tensions after Beijing accused Beijing of a "finger gesture" to criticize China's military exercises.

Amid ongoing air and sea exercises around Taiwan, which Beijing claims is part of its territory, Wong criticized China for launching ballistic missiles. On Saturday, she joined the United States and Japan in signing a joint statement condemning the firing of missiles into Japan's exclusive economic zones and calling on China to "raise tensions and destabilize the region."

In response to the joint statement, the Chinese embassy in Australia said: "It is completely unacceptable to criticize China's appropriate actions to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state."

According to China, which called the US "the biggest destroyer and destabilizer of peace in the Taiwan Straits and the biggest troubleshooter for regional stability", the embassy accused Australia of obeying US orders.

According to a statement from the embassy, ​​"We ... hope that the Australian side can take the question of Taiwan with caution, not follow the strategy of some countries to control China with Taiwan, and not follow the strategy of some countries in China." Doesn't create trouble and mess - Australia relations."

After Pelosi's visit last week, Wong declined to comment on the state of China-Australia relations. Following the election of a new Australian government in May, Beijing had hinted at a possible reset of relations. During the nine years since the previous administration came to power, relations had reached a new level.

When it comes to easing tensions in the straits, Wong told reporters, "What is most important right now is to bring down the temperature and restore peace."

The entire region is concerned with the prevailing situation and is demanding restoration of stability. "Australia continues to urge restraint and de-escalation, but this is not something Australia is calling for outright."

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkeviks, who was to open a new embassy in Australia's capital, Canberra, backed Wong's call for restraint.

Chinese military assertiveness on Taiwan was compared by Rinkewicz to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The speaker said it is important to realize that China is closely monitoring what is happening in Europe and Ukraine. It is important that we cooperate and convey the same message to people about the need to exercise restraint, refrain from acting irrationally and prevent new regional and global hotspots from arising.

Latvia has urged other countries to follow its lead and cancel all visas for Russian citizens in order to label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi both expressed "serious concerns about escalating regional tensions" following military exercises close to Taiwan on Monday, according to the Japanese government.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, during their meeting in Tokyo, Hayashi and Guterres also agreed on the importance of de-escalating tensions.

The ministry quoted Hayashi as saying, in reference to Pyongyang's repeated ballistic missile tests since earlier this year, "China has been conducting military activities around Taiwan and ballistic missiles in waters close to Japan, mimicking North Korea." The missile is firing."

According to the ministry, Hayashi conveyed his opinion to the UN chief that the rules-based international order should be respected when referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Guterres was in Japan for four days since Friday. On Saturday, he went to a ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the US dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

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