US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday evening in defiance of Chinese threats, making her the highest-ranking American politician to visit the island in 25 years.
As tensions grew, four US warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan. The US Navy called it routine deployments.
Meanwhile, Chinese planes flew close to the median line dividing the waterway on Tuesday morning and several Chinese warships had remained close to the unofficial dividing line since Monday.
In the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, which lies opposite Taiwan and is home to a large military presence, residents reported sightings of armoured vehicles on the move on Tuesday and posted pictures online. The images could not immediately be verified by Reuters.
Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei where Pelosi was expected to stay amid heightened security.
The Speaker is expected to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday.
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