With her visit to democratic Taiwan, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has added a new chapter to her decadeslong history of confronting China, raising Sino-U.S. tensions to new heights in the process.
The move has angered the Chinese government, condemning the visit as “maliciously infringing on China's sovereignty” and announcing a series of missile tests and military drills encircling self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims is part of its inherent territory.
Although the U.S. has no official diplomatic ties with Taipei, China regards visits by American officials as encouraging the pro-independence movement on the island.