House Speaker departs Taiwan after meeting President Tsai Ing-wen

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan on Wednesday after meeting President Tsai Ing-wen.

“Our delegation had the distinct privilege of meeting with the President of Taiwan @Iingwen today,” Pelosi said in a Twitter post a few minutes before she was seen departing on board a US Air Force jet. “We discussed how America & Taiwan can deepen our economic ties, further strengthen our security partnership & defend our shared democratic values.”

During her meeting with the president of Taiwan, Pelosi was given the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon: a symbol of our treasured friendship.

“Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan– now & for decades to come,” the speaker said in her tweet announcing the honor.

Pelosi also met with the Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Tsai Chi-chang in Taipei where the two officials reiterated their “ironclad support for Taiwan’s democracy, including on matters of security and stability, economic growth and governance.”

On Tuesday, Pelosi defied China’s threats and flew to Taiwan, making her the highest-ranking elected US official to do so since 1997.

China’s President Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden last week that “whoever plays with fire will get burned” on the issue of Taiwan, while the Foreign Ministry warned the People’s Liberation Army would not sit by “idly” if Pelosi visited.

Beijing demonstrated its anger with Pelosi’s presence on an island that it says is part of China with a burst of military activity in surrounding waters, summoning the US ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.