TAIPEI, Taiwan — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for an unannounced but widely anticipated and controversial visit sure to deepen U.S.-China tensions and fears of military conflict between the two superpowers.
Pelosi, an outspoken critic of Beijing, is the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Even before her arrival during an official tour of Asia, the prospect of a stop in Taiwan drew the ire of Beijing, which sees the trip as a challenge to its claim of sovereignty over the self-governed island.
“Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi tweeted within minutes of touching down at the airport in Taipei. The closely watched flight from Malaysia took a long route around the South China Sea and landed shortly after 10:40 p.m., where Pelosi was greeted by Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu and other officials.
