Beijing responded to Pelosi’s visit by sending missiles,warships and warplanes into the seas and air around Taiwan.
![Aircraft of the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island last week.](https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_300%2C$height_150/t_crop_auto/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/6599a5c68099441eb19ffd4c5a122586d45e74f5)
Aircraft of the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conduct joint combat training exercises around the Taiwan Island last week.Xinhua/AP
The five-member delegation is led by Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and is in Taiwan on Sunday and Monday as part of a visit to Asia,the American Institute in Taiwan said.
They will meet senior leaders to discuss US-Taiwan relations,regional security,trade,investment and other issues.
A Taiwanese broadcaster showed video of a US government plane landing Sunday at Songshan Airport in Taipei,the Taiwanese capital.
The delegation met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met on Monday. Local media showed the delegation arriving for the talks,but details of the meeting were not immediately released.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and objects to it having any official contact with foreign governments.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong initially refused to endorse Pelosi’s trip and said:“All parties should consider how they contribute to de-escalating current tensions.”
But after China’s military response escalated she then accused Beijing of being “disproportionate and destabilising”.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was more direct. “[Xi Jinping] has been very clear about their intention to go into Taiwan by hook or by crook,” the former defence minister said. “That’s a reality that we just can’t ignore.”
AP with Eryk Bagshaw
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