House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arrived on the island of Taiwan on Tuesday after weeks of speculation and threats of retaliation from the Chinese Communist Party.

Pelosi, who is conducting an extensive tour of multiple nations in Asia, touched down in Taiwan at approximately 10:45 a.m. EST.

She is the highest ranking U.S. official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island, which China claims sovereignty over. Then-House speaker Newt Gingrich visited Taiwan in 1997.

Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit “honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”

“Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read. “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”

“Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan – and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances,” the statement continued. “The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo.”

The U.S. does not have official relations with Taiwan and maintains a One China Policy that recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the legitimate successor nation.

The Taiwanese government had welcomed a visit from the house speaker, as a visit of its nature could be seen as granting legitimacy to Taiwan on the world stage.

China issued stern warnings against a visit from Pelosi in recent weeks, including threats from government officials and TV personalities.

In a phone call last Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Joe Biden that the U.S. must not “play with fire” on Taiwan.

“Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this,” a Chinese readout of the Biden-Xi call said.

President Biden revealed weeks ago that the U.S. military believed a visit to Taiwan by the house speaker was “not a good idea right now.”

Nonetheless, the visit is taking place, and China has responded with aggressive rhetoric and military exercises.

The People’s Liberation Army said military maneuvers would take place starting Tuesday night in the waters and skies near Taiwan, including the firing of long-range ammunition in the Taiwan Strait.

“This action is a solemn deterrent against the recent major escalation of the negative actions of the United States on the Taiwan issue, and a serious warning to the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces seeking ‘independence.'”

China’s state-run Xinhua News said the army plans to conduct live-fire drills from August 4 to 7 across multiple locations. An image released by the news agency indicated that the exercises were to take place in six different areas surrounding Taiwan.

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” China’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

“It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence,'” the statement read. “China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States.”

Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China has continued to claim sovereignty over the island and the Taiwan Strait, the relatively narrow strip of ocean between the island of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.

An unnamed Pentagon spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan moved positions after leaving the port in Singapore to the Philippine Sea, east of Taiwan, along with the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam and destroyer USS Higgins. The spokesperson said it was a planned maneuver.

Pelosi is expected to meet with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday. She will first visit the parliament before heading to the presidential office for a meeting, an unnamed Taiwanese official told CNN.

Pelosi is expected to leave Taiwan later on Wednesday, according to a news release issued by the Taiwanese foreign ministry.

Pelosi is traveling with a Congressional delegation that includes Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).