Free Press Series When US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew into Taiwan on an Air Force passenger jet, she became the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island.
China announced military manoeuvres in retaliation, even as Taiwanese officials welcomed her and she headed to her hotel.
The reason her visit on Tuesday ratcheted up tension between China and the United States is that China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and views visits by foreign government officials as them recognising the island’s sovereignty.
US President Joe Biden has sought to calm that complaint, insisting there is no change in America’s longstanding “one-China policy”, which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei…
