Media reports say that the plane carrying Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi took off today from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington and headed for the Pacific.
It is not excluded that Pelosi will go to Taiwan, which the US official has previously announced her intention to visit as part of an Asian tour that includes several countries.
The media later reported that Taiwan had taken off fighter jets from Chiai Air Base and also deployed air defense systems at Taiwan International Airport in the north of the island.
The route of the Pelosi plane can be traced through the site FlightRadar
Beijing strongly opposes the visit, Pelosi warned and demanded the cancellation of possible plans to visit the island, which China considers part of its territory.
Some Chinese media suggested shooting down Pelosi’s plane if it went to Taiwan.
Along with Pelosi’s departure from his tour, China said it was conducting military exercises off its coast against Taiwan on Saturday.
The Chinese military will hold a “live-fire exercise” near the Pingtan Islands off Fujian Province from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, Xinhua said. The Maritime Security Administration has warned ships to avoid the area.
Earlier, the Politico newspaper reported that the US Department of Defense was preparing for a possible visit by Pelosi to Taiwan.
Source: agencies