Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen thanked US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is currently on a visit to the country, for her concrete actions in support of Taiwan at this critical time.

She stressed that the island will not back down in the face of increased military threats.

The two met in Taipei as part of Pelosi's visit to the island, which drew sharp criticism from China and prompted Beijing to announce a series of military exercises and recall the US ambassador.

Tsai also told Pelosi that she is one of Taiwan's staunchest friends and thanked her for her steadfast support on the international stage.

The president added that Taiwan is a reliable partner of the United States and will continue to work with Washington to strengthen cooperation in security, economic development and supply chains.

Pelosi met with Tsai Ing-wen despite strong warnings from China against the visit. She is expected to have lunch and then leave the island, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported.

The trip, which is not endorsed by President Biden, is the first by such a high-ranking US official in 25 years.

21 Chinese fighter jets breached Taiwan's air defense zone, local officials said after Pelosi arrived in Taipei.

China's armed forces have been put on high alert for "targeted military operations" around the island. Beijing's foreign ministry said the United States was taking "extremely dangerous" actions and was playing with fire.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded that China cannot intimidate Washington with bellicose rhetoric.

"There is no need for this visit to ignite a crisis or conflict," Kirby added.

Russia said that the Chinese side has every right to "take the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity" regarding Taiwan. In a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, they defined Pelosi's visit to Taipei as "sheer provocation".

China summoned US Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns on the occasion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng called Pelosi's actions "unheard of" and warned that her visit would have serious consequences. He said the United States must pay the price for its own mistakes and urged Washington to immediately take practical measures to eliminate the adverse effects caused by Pelosi's visit.

Criticism of the visit also came from North Korea. The foreign ministry in Pyongyang called it unreasonable interference in China's internal affairs. According to a spokesman for the department, the Chinese side has every right to take retaliatory measures against foreign forces that openly carry out such intervention and destroy its territorial integrity.

However, China issued a warning to Britain as well. China's ambassador to the UK said there would be serious consequences for bilateral relations if British MPs visited Taiwan. The statement came after the Guardian newspaper reported that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons in London was planning a visit to the island, possibly in November or early December.

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Copyright (c) Novinite.com. Published with permission via Big News Network news agency