Speaker Nancy Pelosi defied Beijing on Tuesday when she landed in Taiwan after repeated warnings from the Chinese not to visit the island nation, which they said marked a 'violation of the one-China principle.'
Her Air Force plane - with its distinctive blue and white colors and American flag on the tail - touched down in Taipei at 10:45 pm local time.
She disembarked a few minutes later, wearing a pink pants suit and white face mask. A contingent of Taiwan officials, including Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, greeted her on the tarmac.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately blasted the move, calling it a 'serious disregard of China's strong opposition and violation of one-China principle.'
'It has a severe impact on the political foundations of China-U.S. relations and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' the ministry said.
Pelosi's visit makes her the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the island in 25 years. It enraged China, which sees the self-governing island nation as its own territory, despite never having governed it. Chinese President Xi Jinping has threatened to unite the two nations by force.
Pelosi said her trip was to show America's committment to democracy.
'Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy,' Pelosi said in a statement released shortly after she landed.
The Chinese, meanwhile, backed up their warnings with a show of force, including live-fire drills. Soon after Pelosi landed, Beijing said the People's Liberation Army would hold military exercises around the island – defying White House urgings to lower the temperature.
The exercises will take place from August 4 to 7, when the PLA 'will conduct important military exercises and training activities including live-fire drills in the following maritime areas and their air space bounded by lines joining,' according to the state Xinjua News Agency.
Additionally, Taipei claimed that more than 20 Chinese military planes entered Taiwan's airspace on day of Pelosi's visit. As the speaker's Air Force C40 approached Taipei, Chinese Air Force Su-35 fighter jets were crossing the Taiwan Straits, local media outlets reported.
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