Pelosi and Tsai praise democracy as China drills form 'blockade'

Taiwan says exercises are act of locking down island's airspace and sea space

20220803 U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei on Wednesday. © Taiwan Presidential Office/Reuters

THOMPSON CHAU, Contributing writer, LAULY LI and CHENG TING-FANG, Nikkei staff writers

August 3, 2022 11:39 JST

Updated on August 3, 2022 16:35 JST

TAIPEI -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a historic meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Wednesday, prompting China to announce live-fire drills in several locations around the democratic island -- a move that Taiwan said amounted to a "blockade."