U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday despite repeated warnings not to from mainland China, which claims the island democracy as its own territory.
Pelosi landed in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, at just after 10:40 p.m. local time as part of her tour of Asia. She visited Singapore on Monday and Malaysia on Tuesday. Her office previously said she would also travel to South Korea and Japan but didn’t mention a stop in Taiwan.
Beijing considers any official contact with Taiwan a recognition of its democratically elected government, which the mainland’s ruling Communist Party asserts has no right to conduct foreign relations.
Pelosi is the most senior U.S. official to visit Taiwan in a quarter century. Her arrival came on the heels of fiery reactions from Chinese officials amid reports that she was planning such a trip.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.