US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan overnight, triggering a furious and immediate response from China.

The first visit to the disputed region by a US official in 25 years prompted China to put its military on high alert and launch targeted military operations in response.

Taiwan military in response strengthened its state of readiness for expected sabre rattling by China.

The Washington Post correspondent Christian Shepherd, based in China, told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings that Pelosi’s arrival had caught the Chinese off guard initially but they were well aware now.

“For most people here in Taiwan, Chinese threats are part of everyday life now, and they’ve been escalating for so many years now,” he said.

“Even though these drills look larger than normal … people here aren’t that concerned that it won’t go beyond sabre rattling.”

LISTEN 👇 to the mixture of opinions on Pelosi’s visit