Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, has arrived in Taiwan, on a visit that has enraged China which claims the self-governing island as its own territory.
Pelosi’s arrival in Taipei late on Tuesday risks triggering a major crisis between China and the US, which does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is still required by US law to provide its government with the means to defend itself.
Nancy Pelosi's plane touched down at Taipei's Songshan airport at 22:44 local time.
Shortly afterwards, the top Democrat and her delegation could be seen coming down the steps of the US government plane and being greeted by local Taiwanese officials.
Pelosi is the most senior US politician to visit Taiwan since then House Speaker Newt Gingrich came to Taiwan in 1997.
Taiwan media is reporting that Pelosi will meet with Taiwan President Tsai Yingwen tomorrow morning, before going to Taiwan’s parliament, and then to a human rights museum in the afternoon.
Nancy Pelosi has tweeted after touching down in Taiwan.
In a thread, the top US Democrat says that her delegation's visit honoured America’s "unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy".
She adds: "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever" and that her visit "in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy."
"The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," she says.-BBC
