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Explainer: Why US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit has repercussions on regional stability

Mrs Nancy Pelosi (back of row), the United States House of Representatives Speaker, waving with other members of a delegation as they board a plane before leaving Taipei Songshan Airport, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug 3, 2022.

Mrs Nancy Pelosi (back of row), the United States House of Representatives Speaker, waving with other members of a delegation as they board a plane before leaving Taipei Songshan Airport, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug 3, 2022.

A visit to Taiwan on Tuesday (Aug 2) by Mrs Nancy Pelosi, the United States House of Representatives Speaker, has been met with anger and criticism from the authorities and people of mainland China, who called the visit a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. 
Second in line to the US presidency after American vice-president Kamala Harris, Mrs Pelosi is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. She, along with the rest of her delegation, touched down in Songshan Airport at downtown Taipei on Tuesday night after visiting Malaysia as part of her Asian tour. 
Relations between Taiwan and China have been strained for years, as China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that should be part of its territory. 
In the wake of Mrs Pelosi's visit, China has launched several acts of retaliation such as trade curbs on Taiwan and military drills near the island. 
TODAY spoke to experts to find out the significance of Mrs Pelosi’s visit, why there has been backlash from China and if the region, including Singapore, should be concerned about these unfolding events. 

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