As it happened: Plane carrying Nancy Pelosi departs Taiwan

Nancy Pelosi's delegation left Taiwan on Wednesday evening headed to South Korea, her next stop in an Asia tour.

She will head to Japan after. 

China harshly criticised Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, saying that her actions are a clear violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"What Pelosi has done is by no means a defense or protection of democracy, but a provocation and violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a daily press briefing in Beijing.

Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan on Wednesday evening, ending a controversial landmark visit that Beijing responded to with threats and military drills.

The 82-year-old lawmaker waved to waiting dignitaries at Taipei's Songshan airport before boarding a US military aircraft that took off at 6pm (1000 GMT), live broadcasts showed. 

Military exercise near Taiwan necessary, says China amid Pelosi's visit

The US warned China not to convert Pelosi's visit into a "crisis" while seeking to diffuse the tense situation.

"The Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan," the US State Department  said, adding, "There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding US policies into some sort of crisis."

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Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi hit out at Pelosi's Taiwan visit.

"This is a complete farce. The United States is violating China's sovereignty under the guise of so-called 'democracy'... those who offend China will be punished," Wang said.

Earlier in the day Pelosi met Taiwan's President and addressed the country's parliament as the US vowed support to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, pro-Beijing demonstrators protested outside the US Consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday after Pelosi arrived in Taiwan as part of a tour of Asia that has inflamed tensions between the US and China.

How SPAR19 became the most tracked flight of all time

The SPAR19 US Air Force plane made its journey from  Kuala Lumpur's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) to Songshan Airport (TSA) in Taipei covering nearly 2,000 miles and was reportedly tracked by over 708,000 people around the world.

Flight radar data showed during the seven-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei a total of 2.92 million people followed at least a portion of the flight.

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China has hit Taiwan with import ban on fruit and fish amid US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island nation on Wednesday.

China said it will "suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan" which is used to make concrete and asphalt. China is Taiwan's biggest trading partner and export market.

Meanwhile,  Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said "Taiwan will not back down" amid Chinese threats.

President Tsai thanked Pelosi for "taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment".

The Chinese military said it was on "high alert" and would launch a series of targeted military actions in response to Pelosi's visit.

Chinese drills along Taiwan to include 'long-range live ammunition shooting'

Taiwan's defence department which has been closely monitoring the drills said at least 21 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defence zone on Tuesday ahead of Pelosi's visit.

China's state-run Global Times quoting Xinhua news agency reported that the PLA would be conducting series of live-fire military drills in six different areas "that encircle the island of Taiwan from all directions". The three-day military exercise is likely to be conducted between August 4 to August 7.

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a meeting with Taiwan’s vice speaker of Parliament Tsai Chi-chang in Taipei. 

Pelosi added that security, new trade agreement might be possible soon as she addressed a joint press conference with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen

The Taiwan's president said her county is "always been open and we will work stakeholders for peace for the region."

The US House Speaker during her meeting with Taiwan's President said she discussed  ways to deepen US-Taiwan partnership.

"We come have come here to cement Indo-Pacific economic framework, we support that in terms of security and governance," Pelosi added.

"We came here to listen and reach out to goals for Taiwan," she said.

As Nancy Pelosi addressed Taiwan's Parliament, Japan expressed concern over China's military drills in waters around Taiwan.

"The maritime areas announced by the Chinese side as those to be used for military exercises... overlaps with Japan's exclusive economic zone," Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen asserted that her country will "continue to hold the line of defence for democracy" as China began military drills around the island nation.

“In terms of governance, we commend Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world," Pelosi said during her address to the country's Parliament on Wednesday.

“We want to increase interparliamentary cooperation and dialogue. And we do so at a time when our president Joe Biden has put forward an Asian-Pacific initiative," the US House Speaker added. 

During her address to Taiwan's Parliament, Pelosi said the US made a promise to “always stand with Taiwan”.

Taiwan will not back down in face of military threats, President Tsai asserted.

On Tuesday, 21 Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan's air defence zone just hours ahead of Pelosi's visit.

Pelosi asserted that "now more than ever, US solidarity with Taiwan is crucial.”

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met Taiwan's president, Chinese live-fire military drills encircling Taiwan threaten the island's key ports and urban areas, Taipei's defence ministry said.

Today the world faces democracy and autocracy. We're grateful in this mission. I'm grateful to receive this award. For their enduring friendship. To do so in a way that opens many more possibilities. I got this beautiful award."

"I think it is important to remind some how we're here after 43 years. We always stand with Taiwan," she said.

"I will like to take this opportunity to extend Taiwan's key principles in uncertainty. First, facing deliberate military's threats, Taiwan will not back down," Pelosi said.

"We will do whatever it takes to extend capabilities, we will make Taiwan."

"Taiwan is a reliable corporation with of US. We will continue to work with US congress to extend economic development, supply chains to accelerated Taiwan US relations," Pelosi added

Pelosi told the Taiwan president that the US is proud of its delegation while declaring that US officials have come to Taiwan to make "unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan".

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan

‘Never give in to autocrats’: Nancy Pelosi explains reasons behind Taiwan visit in op-ed

Ahead of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China positioned a number of warships near the line dividing the Taiwan Strait and the country’s foreign ministry went on to call the visit “extremely dangerous”.

Pelosi denied China’s allegations about the trip being “provocative” and said that the sole purpose was to demonstrate their strong commitment to self-ruled Taiwan.

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Watch: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan amid Chinese warnings

Will not sit idle, says China as Pelosi arrives in Taiwan

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday and declared the US delegation was in the country to further "friendship and peace in the region.

"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious," Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng said while declaring that his "country will not sit idly by."

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Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan, escorted by Taiwan Air Force jets

According to local Taiwanese media, Pelosi and her US Air Force jet that took off from Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur was escorted into Taiwan by Taiwan Air Force fighter jets. 

According to data received, Pelosi's “SPAR19,” a US Air Force-operated Boeing C-40C became the most-tracked aircraft in the world today as the news of her visit to Taiwan gained momentum. 

‘America’s solidarity with 23mn people of Taiwan more important today than ever’

Pelosi also said her trip “in no way” contradicted official US policy, which recognizes “one China” and has not officially recognised Taiwan as an independent state. 

Watch: China launches military exercise as Pelosi arrives in Taiwan

Pelosi's Taiwan visit angers China into threatening 'targeted' military actions

During recent phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the latter had used strong words to indicate displeasure over the then-unconfirmed Taiwan visit. 

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