UNITED STATES House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi was met with angry protests as she landed in Taiwan today, in a move considered dangerously hostile by China.

She was greeted with chants of “Go home, warmonger” and “F*** off, Pelosi” by a small crowd gathered outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei. 

Her arrival on the island, which China maintains is an integral part of its territory, came despite warnings from Beijing and international reaction. 

Missiles have also reportedly been fired towards Taiwan from China’s Fujian province, while fighter jets were said to have flown close by. 

China issued an angry rebuke after Ms Pelosi’s plane landed, describing her visit as “a major political provocation” that is rejected by Beijing and the Chinese people. 

Her presence marked “an escalation in the collusion between the United States and Taiwan,” the foreign ministry said, adding that it would have “serious consequences.”

“Any activity seeking Taiwan independence will be smashed by the mighty anti-secession and pro-reunification forces of the Chinese people,” it said. 

Campaign group No Cold War warned that the visit was “needlessly provocative and dangerous” and posed a major threat to world peace. 

It is believed that Taiwanese authorities rescinded Ms Pelosi’s invitation in a bid to de-escalate tensions, but she is said to have insisted on visiting to create a “historical” moment. 

Shortly after landing, a high-ranking US official said: “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever as the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy” adding that the visit does not contradict US policy. 

Washington has escalated tensions since President Joe Biden came to power in January 2021, sending warships to the region while flooding Taiwan with weapons and threatening military action against China.