Storm in Asia: Typhoon "Dolphin" hits Japan and makes its way to the Chinese coast
The powerful storm hit the island of Okinawa, leaving 14,000 buildings without electricity and causing five people to be injured. Now the typhoon is making its way to the Chinese coast, where the alert level has been raised and flights and maritime port operations have been canceled. At the same time, China is using the storm to demand that ships in the Taiwan Strait obey its instructions — a move that Taiwan defines as "ridiculous."
Typhoon "Dolphin" hit the southern Okinawa prefecture in Japan over the weekend, causing five people to be injured and cutting off about 14,000 buildings from the power grid. Now, China is preparing for the storm to hit its eastern coasts, taking a series of preventive measures including closing commercial ports and shutting down many ferry lines.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the storm carries strong winds at a speed of 162 km/h, with wind gusts reaching up to 216 km/h. Authorities in Okinawa reported that five elderly people were lightly injured, three of them after falling as a result of the strong winds. At the same time, local airlines, including ANA and Japan Airlines, were forced to cancel their flights to the Okinawa area and the island of Amami.
In China, the National Meteorological Center estimates that the typhoon will hit the eastern and southern coasts of the country from Sunday night to Monday morning. The main impact is expected in the area between the city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and the city of Fuding in Fujian province. Ahead of the storm's impact, Zhejiang province raised the alert level to the highest, stopped port operations, and suspended 162 maritime passenger lines. The international airport of the city of Ningbo announced the suspension of all its flights, and train traffic in parts of the Yangtze River Delta is also expected to be suspended.
Geopolitical storm in the Taiwan Strait
Beyond the weather damage and economic impacts, the storm has also sparked renewed geopolitical tension in the region. Authorities in China ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to obey their traffic control instructions, apparently due to dangerous weather conditions. In Taiwan, they were quick to strongly condemn the move, calling it "ridiculous," and emphasized that Beijing has no authority or right to restrict access to international waters.
The Taiwan Strait is considered a strategic shipping route of global importance, over which China claims full sovereignty based on its view of Taiwan as part of its territory. On the other hand, Taipei and Washington strongly reject these claims and view the strait as a free and open route for all.
