The typhoon was forecast to make landfall near Wenzhou, a city of about 10 million people in Zhejiang province, early on Sunday. Although the storm has weakened and slowed while moving northwest over cooler waters, forecasters warned it continues to pose a significant threat because of the vast amount of moisture contained within its rain bands.

According to China’s National Meteorological Center, Bavi was located about 200 km (124 miles) southeast of Wenling in Zhejiang province as of 0808 GMT. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 144 kph (90 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

State media reported that more than 1.7 million residents were evacuated across Zhejiang province, while another 100,000 people were moved to safety in neighboring Fujian province as authorities prepared for heavy rain, strong winds and possible flooding.

In Wenzhou, residents made last-minute preparations before the storm’s arrival. Fifty-year-old Huang Xinghuan said he was buying groceries before markets closed and that his family had stored enough drinking water for two to three days.

Huang said he was concerned about the approaching typhoon but remained confident that authorities had prepared adequately. He added that there was no need for panic buying because essential supplies remained readily available.

Another Wenzhou resident, Chen Qiuqin, said she was visiting her elderly parents to help them secure flowerpots and other loose items at their home before the storm arrived. She said government preparations had reduced her concerns, although she wanted to ensure her parents were safe.

Before reaching China’s coast, Bavi brought heavy rain and strong winds to Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain and passed close to northern Taiwan without making landfall there.

Taiwan’s government evacuated more than 14,000 people, mainly from mountainous regions vulnerable to landslides and flooding, after forecasts warned that some areas could receive nearly one meter (three feet) of rainfall.

Authorities canceled 920 international flights and all 282 domestic flights, effectively shutting down Taiwan’s main international gateway at Taoyuan Airport outside Taipei. Most cities and counties declared a typhoon holiday on Saturday, closing offices and schools, although some restaurants and convenience stores in the capital remained open.

Taiwan’s north-south high-speed rail line continued operating with reduced services as wind and rain affected parts of the island. In Taipei’s Beitou district, wind gusts of around 100 kph toppled trees and caused rivers to swell.

Taiwan’s fire department said 87 people were injured during the storm, with most incidents involving falls from motorcycles or bicycles or people struck by objects blown by strong winds.

No deaths had been reported in either Taiwan or Japan as a direct result of the typhoon. However, in the Philippines, authorities said 17 people died after heavy rains associated with an enhanced southwest monsoon, intensified by Bavi’s influence, triggered deadly flooding and related incidents.

Chinese authorities continued monitoring the storm’s progress on Saturday as emergency services remained on alert ahead of the expected landfall, with evacuation efforts and disaster response measures focused on minimizing casualties and damage along the densely populated eastern coastline.

Police in the Philippines said the landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall intensified by the approaching typhoon, struck the southern island of Mindanao, killing at least five people and leaving six others missing. The fatalities came as governments across the western Pacific stepped up emergency measures ahead of the storm’s arrival.

In Taiwan, authorities evacuated more than 1,000 residents, most of them from the mountainous eastern county of Hualien, where officials were also monitoring two barrier dams amid concerns over flooding and landslides.

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Typhoon Bavi was carrying maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (100 mph) with gusts reaching about 198 kph on Friday. While the storm had weakened from super typhoon status after crossing Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands earlier in the week, forecasters said it remained a major threat because of its unusually large wind field.

CWA forecaster Wang Ping-hsiang said environmental conditions were expected to weaken the system further, but warned that Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan would likely experience the strongest impacts, while mountainous areas in central and northern Taiwan were forecast to receive the heaviest rainfall.

The agency said Bavi’s wind radius had expanded to about 380 km (240 miles), making it the largest typhoon to affect Taiwan in more than 30 years. Authorities warned the storm could bring up to one metre of rain in some areas.

Schools and businesses were closed across northern and eastern Taiwan, including in the capital Taipei, while hundreds of domestic and international flights were cancelled as residents rushed to complete storm preparations.

In the northern port city of Keelung, shopkeepers stocked food supplies, reinforced storefronts with sandbags and taped windows after authorities urged residents to prepare for severe weather.

“They’re saying it’s going to be huge; of course that’s scary, right?” grocery store owner Chang Shih-huo, 76, told AFP, adding that his family had stocked up on instant noodles, bread and other essentials before expecting to close the shop as conditions deteriorated.

Restaurant owner Penny Pan said stronger preparations reflected expectations of unusually powerful winds. “In the past we never used sandbags to prepare for typhoons. But this time they’re forecasting Force 10 gusts, so the captains and fishermen have all been saying we need to be better prepared,” she told AFP.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged residents in areas expected to bear the brunt of the storm to remain on high alert. Authorities said more than 20,000 troops, along with machinery, equipment and vehicles, had been placed on standby for emergency response operations.

Across the East China Sea, Japan’s remote Sakashima islands also prepared for the approaching storm. Some schools and offices were closed as weather officials warned of high waves, strong winds and possible landslides.

Masaru Nakamura, who works at a hotel on Miyako Island, said workers had secured outdoor objects with protective nets as weather conditions steadily worsened. In Okinawa’s capital, Naha, water sports operator Koki Ohama said weekend reservations had been cancelled because of the approaching typhoon.

After passing near Taiwan and Japan’s southwestern islands, Bavi is forecast to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.

The storm approaches as parts of southern and central China are already recovering from severe weather that left at least 39 people dead, caused dozens of rivers to overflow and led to the bursting of a reservoir dam earlier this week.

Scientists have said warmer ocean temperatures can strengthen tropical cyclones and increase atmospheric moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall. The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said last week that the world’s oceans recorded their hottest June on record, while the return of the El Nino climate pattern this year is also contributing to warmer Pacific Ocean surface temperatures.

Speaking at an international forum in Taipei, Lii Wen, deputy secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, said China was steadily advancing what he called an “incremental salami-slicing approach” by expanding its presence across key maritime areas in East Asia.

Chinese vessels regularly operate in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, where Beijing asserts sweeping claims over disputed waters and islands. Taiwan and several neighboring countries reject those claims.

Lii said Beijing’s strategy relied on the coordinated use of military ships, coast guard vessels, research ships and maritime militia to reinforce its territorial claims while attempting to transform international waterways into waters under Chinese jurisdiction.

“If the world fails to voice our concerns or take action, this expansionism will only continue,” Lii told the forum, warning that China’s “authoritarian expansionism” would persist without a coordinated international response.

Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Minister Kuan Bi-ling said Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines were facing a similar pattern of Chinese activities designed to remain below the threshold of conventional warfare while gradually changing realities at sea.

“When a series of actions accumulates, it may create an entirely new status quo,” Kuan said, urging like-minded countries to develop a common understanding of developments and prepare coordinated responses before future crises emerge.

The comments came a day after coast guard vessels from China and Japan confronted one another near the disputed islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Both governments said they had forced the other’s ships to leave what each considers its territorial waters.

Last month, China began conducting patrols east of Taiwan for the first time following maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines. Beijing described those talks as illegal.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and maintains that waters surrounding the self-governed island fall under its jurisdiction, a position rejected by Taipei.

Ocean Affairs Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en said Taiwan would work to ensure that Chinese patrols did not become a permanent presence in waters that Taipei considers part of its exclusive economic zone.

“They don’t have rights here, no matter what are their excuses,” Sung told AFP on the sidelines of the forum.

The forum also heard calls from international participants for continued support for freedom of navigation. U.S. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth said countries should continue transiting waters claimed by China and openly reject attempts by Beijing to establish new maritime norms through unilateral actions.

Her remarks reflected broader concerns among Taiwan and its partners that continued Chinese activities in contested waters could gradually reshape the regional security environment if left unchallenged.

The missile test marked China’s second publicly known launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile over international waters in two years. The previous test, conducted in 2024, sent a missile into waters near French Polynesia and was reported as China’s first such launch over international waters in more than four decades.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Washington viewed China’s expanding nuclear program with growing concern, arguing that Beijing was moving in the opposite direction at a time when the United States was seeking to curb global nuclear proliferation.

Pigott called on China to participate in meaningful arms control negotiations and establish a regular notification mechanism covering all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches.

The latest launch comes months after the United States allowed the New START treaty, the last major bilateral nuclear arms control agreement with Russia, to expire while insisting that any future framework should also include China. Beijing has repeatedly rejected such proposals, maintaining that its nuclear arsenal remains significantly smaller than those of the United States and Russia, although its capabilities have expanded rapidly in recent years.

New Zealand said China informed Pacific nations roughly two hours before the missile launch. It was not immediately clear whether Washington received similar advance notification.

China’s military described the launch as part of its annual training program. Navy spokesperson Wang Xuemeng said in a statement published on WeChat that the missile test was a routine military exercise and that relevant countries had been informed beforehand.

According to monitoring organizations cited in the report, the missile was launched from a nuclear submarine and appeared to land near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The location has drawn heightened strategic attention since the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China in 2022, an arrangement now under review by the country’s new government.

Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the launch suggested China was expanding its sea-based nuclear deterrent by demonstrating the ability to conduct long-range missile operations from submarines. He said such a capability would strengthen the survivability of China’s nuclear forces and expand options for projecting strategic deterrence beyond land-based systems.

The test coincided with Australia and Fiji signing a new defense treaty, part of Canberra’s broader effort to reinforce security partnerships across the Pacific amid China’s growing regional influence. Analysts, however, said there was little evidence that the two developments were directly connected, noting that strategic missile tests are generally planned well in advance.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the missile launch as destabilizing for the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan, which said it had received prior notification of the launch, said it had urged Beijing to reconsider the test and reiterated serious concerns over China’s expanding military activities. Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have become increasingly strained following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in late 2025 suggesting that a future Chinese attack on Taiwan could justify Japanese military involvement.

Russia, a close strategic partner of China, defended the missile launch, saying Beijing had every sovereign right to conduct such military activities and was not threatening other countries.

The latest missile test highlights the growing strategic competition across the Indo-Pacific, where expanding military capabilities, nuclear modernization and competing security partnerships continue to reshape the regional security landscape.

According to the Japan Coast Guard, the Chinese vessels entered waters that Tokyo regards as its territorial sea before moving toward a Japanese fishing vessel operating in the area. Japanese patrol ships ordered the vessels to leave and escorted the fishing boat to ensure its safety.

The coast guard said the two Chinese ships departed Japanese territorial waters at about 9:20 a.m. local time (0020 GMT). It added that four Chinese coast guard vessels had been operating near the islands before two crossed into waters claimed by Japan.

Japanese authorities described the Chinese vessels’ actions as a violation of international law and said they would continue responding “calmly and resolutely” under both domestic and international legal frameworks while taking all necessary measures to safeguard the country’s territorial waters.

China did not immediately comment on Japan’s account of the incident.

The islands, administered by Japan and known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, have long been a source of friction between the two countries. Both governments claim sovereignty over the uninhabited islets, which lie in the East China Sea between Japan’s Okinawa prefecture and Taiwan.

Chinese coast guard ships regularly operate near the disputed islands, leading to repeated encounters with Japanese maritime authorities. While Chinese vessels frequently enter the contiguous zone surrounding the islands, direct approaches toward Japanese fishing boats are comparatively uncommon.

Japanese officials said Chinese coast guard vessels had last entered waters claimed by Japan on June 10, making Tuesday’s incident the latest in a series of maritime confrontations in the area.

The East China Sea remains strategically significant because of its important shipping routes and the potential presence of offshore oil and natural gas reserves, adding to the geopolitical importance of the territorial dispute.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have deteriorated further in recent months following comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November suggesting Japan could become militarily involved if Taiwan were attacked. China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, condemned the remarks and subsequently advised its citizens against traveling to Japan while tightening trade restrictions on some Japanese companies.

The latest maritime encounter highlights continuing tensions between Asia’s two largest economies as both countries maintain competing territorial claims and expand coast guard patrols in contested waters.

The promotions, announced at a ceremony in Beijing on Friday, come as Xi continues efforts to modernize China’s armed forces while reinforcing their loyalty to the ruling Communist Party. The military overhaul coincides with Beijing’s push to strengthen its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific, including its claims over Taiwan and other disputed territories.

Xi, who also serves as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), presented promotion orders to Zhang Shuguang and Air Force commander Wang Gang. Zhang was simultaneously appointed to lead the CMC’s anti-corruption investigation body, placing him at the center of the military’s ongoing disciplinary campaign.

The appointments are widely viewed as positioning both officers for greater responsibilities within the military hierarchy. Analysts say they could eventually fill vacancies on the seven-member Central Military Commission, whose membership has been substantially reduced after a series of corruption investigations removed several senior leaders.

Among the two, Zhang appears to be the stronger candidate for elevation to the commission because of his new anti-corruption portfolio, according to analysts. Wang’s prospects are considered less certain, particularly after two other senior Air Force commanders—the leaders of the PLA’s Central and Eastern Theater Commands—were promoted to general in December.

James Char, an assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said Wang belongs to a new generation of People’s Liberation Army Air Force leaders with substantial operational experience who have assumed increasingly important responsibilities following the latest round of military purges.

The Central Military Commission remains the highest decision-making body within China’s armed forces and is chaired by Xi. Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin is currently its only other active member after two former vice chairmen, including the military’s most senior general, were removed or effectively sidelined during the anti-corruption campaign.

According to Char, the sweeping disciplinary investigations have dismantled the two dominant factions that previously existed within the military establishment, giving Xi greater latitude to shape the next generation of senior commanders.

Even so, analysts caution that the pace of promotions suggests Beijing is proceeding carefully rather than rushing to rebuild the military’s leadership. Only four lieutenant generals have been elevated to the rank of general during the latest phase of the restructuring.

K. Tristan Tang, a nonresident fellow at the U.S.-based National Bureau of Asian Research, said the limited number of promotions indicates that Xi continues to assess senior officers before making further appointments.

According to Tang, the Chinese leader remains in the process of observing, testing and evaluating potential candidates before carrying out a broader leadership overhaul.

The next major opportunity for restructuring is expected at the Communist Party Congress scheduled for the autumn of next year, when the current five-year term of the Central Military Commission concludes. The composition of the next commission will be closely watched as an indicator of Xi’s continuing efforts to consolidate authority over the military while advancing long-term defense modernization.

China’s Coast Guard said the patrol would carry out what it described as “law enforcement patrols” in waters it considers under its jurisdiction. In a statement, the agency said it would strengthen such operations to safeguard what it called China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

The move marks the second deployment in roughly a month of Chinese coast guard vessels to waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast. Unlike the near-daily military activities conducted by the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan, Beijing has increasingly relied on coast guard vessels to reinforce its territorial claims, a strategy Taiwanese officials describe as “lawfare” aimed at creating a legal basis for Chinese actions.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council rejected Beijing’s claims, saying China has neither sovereignty nor jurisdiction over waters east of Taiwan and that its coast guard has no law enforcement authority in the area. The council described the patrol as an illegal expansion of power that violates international law and undermines regional peace and stability.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said it was monitoring two Chinese coast guard vessels involved in the operation and had dispatched two Taiwanese ships to shadow them. By mid-morning, the Chinese vessels were about 54 nautical miles east of Hualien, home to one of Taiwan’s major air bases, but remained outside Taiwan’s restricted waters.

The coast guard said it would continue taking all necessary measures to monitor Chinese vessels and respond to any activities it considers harassment, while safeguarding Taiwan’s maritime security and sovereignty.

The latest operation follows a similar patrol conducted by China in June, which drew concern from the United States and several European partners, including France, Germany and Britain. Beijing said that deployment was a response to Japan and the Philippines announcing formal discussions on maritime boundaries, which China argued involved waters connected to its claims around Taiwan.

Earlier this week, Taiwan instructed commercial and civilian vessels operating off its eastern coast to refuse any boarding or inspection requests by the Chinese Coast Guard. Authorities said Taiwanese coast guard ships would intervene if necessary to prevent such actions.

The dispute reflects broader tensions across the Taiwan Strait, where China continues to increase military and coast guard activities while maintaining that Taiwan is part of its territory. Taiwan, which is democratically governed, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and insists only its own government has the authority to exercise jurisdiction over the island and its surrounding waters.

On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources published an English-language legal opinion criticizing maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines. The ministry argued that any negotiations involving waters claimed by Beijing should include China rather than Taiwan and called on other countries not to support the bilateral talks.

The latest coast guard deployment is likely to add to regional tensions as China continues to expand the use of civilian maritime agencies alongside military operations to advance its territorial claims in the western Pacific.

Speaking at a drone industry forum in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung, Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, said unmanned systems offered a transformative opportunity to bolster the island’s security amid evolving regional threats.

The United States remains Taiwan’s most important international supporter and principal arms supplier despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Washington has consistently backed Taipei’s efforts to modernize its armed forces and increase defense spending as tensions with China persist.

Taiwan says it is accelerating military reforms in response to growing pressure from Beijing, which regards the democratically governed island as part of its territory. President Lai Ching-te has rejected China’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only Taiwan’s people have the right to determine the island’s future.

Greene said the United States and Taiwan could help establish a democratic supply chain for drone production while strengthening collective deterrence among like-minded partners.

Referring to lessons from the war in Ukraine, Greene said drones have demonstrated their ability to enhance the defensive capabilities of forces confronting larger adversaries.

“Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet’s nest of air, surface, and subsurface drones,” he said.

Taiwan’s government has made asymmetric warfare capabilities, including drones, missiles and unmanned systems, a central pillar of its defense strategy. However, funding proposals have become the subject of political debate between the ruling administration and the opposition-controlled legislature.

In May, Taiwan’s parliament approved only about two-thirds of the government’s proposed T$1.25 trillion ($40 billion) supplemental defense package, allocating funding primarily for purchases of U.S.-made weapons.

The government has since proposed a separate T$210 billion ($6.59 billion) program extending through 2031 to finance surveillance drones, coastal attack platforms and small unmanned surface vessels.

The opposition Kuomintang this week introduced its own proposal that would authorize up to T$240 billion in drone spending over six years, with annual expenditures capped at T$40 billion. Unlike the government’s plan, the opposition proposal would finance the program through Taiwan’s regular budget rather than a special appropriations package.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, a senior Kuomintang figure who also addressed the forum, called for cross-party cooperation to accelerate development of Taiwan’s domestic drone industry.

Lu said recent conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, demonstrated how drones and unmanned systems have fundamentally changed the character of modern warfare.

Taichung has emerged as one of Taiwan’s principal drone manufacturing centers and is home to companies including Thunder Tiger and the state-backed Aerospace Industrial Development Corp., both of which play significant roles in the island’s expanding defense industrial base.

On Wednesday, President Lai said strengthening Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capabilities had become increasingly urgent amid shifting geopolitical conditions and rapid changes in modern warfare, describing the effort as a race against time.

A small group of protesters interrupted Takaichi’s address with chants including “No to war!” and “Protect Article 9!,” according to television footage from the ceremony held in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. The demonstration reflected concerns among some Japanese citizens over recent policy shifts that have moved the country further from its postwar pacifist framework.

Takaichi, regarded as a security hawk, used her speech to honor those killed during the 1945 battle, in which approximately 200,000 people died. She said Japan remained committed to peace and reiterated the country’s pledge never to repeat the devastation of war.

“Whenever I reflect upon the regret of all those who perished in the war and the grief of the bereaved families, my heart is filled with profound sorrow,” Takaichi said. “Under our unwavering pledge never again to repeat the devastation of war, Japan has steadfastly moved forward on this path as a nation that places the highest value on peace.”

The protest comes as Japan accelerates changes to its security posture amid rising tensions in East Asia. In April, Tokyo eased restrictions on lethal arms exports, while Takaichi has continued to advocate revising Japan’s constitution, including provisions that limit the role of its military.

Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, adopted after World War Two, renounces war and restricts the use of force as a means of settling international disputes. Although Japan maintains Self-Defense Forces, successive governments have debated how broadly the clause should be interpreted in response to evolving regional security challenges.

Okinawa occupies a strategically important position in Japan’s southwestern island chain and hosts a substantial U.S. military presence. The prefecture’s proximity to Taiwan has heightened its significance as tensions between China and Taiwan continue to shape regional security calculations.

Takaichi’s government has expanded defense cooperation with regional partners, including the Philippines, increased military spending, and supported the acquisition of so-called counterstrike capabilities designed to respond to attacks against Japan.

Her security agenda has drawn criticism from Beijing, which accuses Tokyo of reviving wartime militarism. Relations between the two countries deteriorated further after Takaichi suggested last year that Japan could intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Beijing has responded to recent Japanese statements with diplomatic criticism, trade restrictions and travel advisories for Chinese citizens visiting Japan.

The Okinawa ceremony, traditionally focused on remembrance and reconciliation, unfolded against the backdrop of those broader geopolitical tensions, underscoring how debates over Japan’s security future continue to intersect with memories of its wartime past.

The storm was located about 375 km (230 miles) northeast of Aparri in Cagayan province before midday on Tuesday, packing sustained winds of up to 175 kph (110 mph), according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Mekkhala was moving northwest at around 10 kph (6 mph) and was not forecast to make landfall in the Philippines. However, forecasters warned that its extensive rain bands and strong winds could affect eastern coastal areas of Cagayan and the island province of Batanes, raising the risk of localized flooding, landslides and hazardous marine conditions.

Authorities hoisted the lowest level of the country’s five-tier tropical cyclone wind warning system across northeastern coastal areas, while maritime restrictions were imposed to prevent small vessels and fishing boats from venturing into rough seas.

Disaster-response agencies and local government units were placed on heightened alert in communities considered vulnerable to flooding and slope failures. Emergency personnel were instructed to monitor weather developments closely and prepare for possible evacuations if conditions deteriorate.

Forecast models indicated that the typhoon would pass closest to Batanes on Wednesday at a distance of about 275 km (170 miles) offshore before continuing northward along Taiwan’s eastern coastline. The storm is then expected to track toward Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu later in the week.

Although the cyclone is projected to remain over open waters, weather officials cautioned that strong winds, heavy rainfall and large waves could still affect northern Philippine provinces as the system moves through the western Pacific.

The Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone nations, facing an average of about 20 tropical cyclones annually. The archipelago is also situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic activity and other natural hazards.