Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan, heads to China amid Taiwan Strait tensions

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in southern Japan on Saturday, unleashing powerful winds, torrential rain, and widespread power outages. The storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour (100 mph) and gusts up to 216 kph, caused disruptions across Okinawa and Amami Island.

Authorities reported about 240 people took shelter in evacuation centers in Okinawa, with five elderly individuals suffering non-life-threatening injuries. Naha Airport canceled all domestic and international flights, and approximately 14,000 buildings lost power.

As the typhoon barrels toward China, authorities have raised the coastal typhoon alert to the highest level in Zhejiang province. Ports have been closed, and 162 passenger ferry routes suspended. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain, with some areas in eastern Zhejiang potentially receiving over 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) of rain, leading Ningbo Lishe International Airport to halt operations.

The typhoon has also exacerbated tensions between Taiwan and China. Beijing ordered ships in the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic control instructions, a move Taipei denounced as "ridiculous" and a violation of international norms. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council criticized China's actions, highlighting Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the strait, which Taiwan and the United States reject.

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The unreasonable and crude statement by the relevant Chinese Communist departments reflects an ignorance, disregard, and trampling of international order and norms. It is utterly ridiculous!