Amid tension with China, an American congresswoman arrives in Taiwan on a military plane

US Representative Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Senate Commerce and Armed Services Committees, arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for the third visit of its kind this month, defying pressure from Beijing not to make such visits.

Live television footage from Songshan Airport (central Taiwan) showed Blackburn arriving on a US military plane, Reuters reported.

The official Taiwan Central News Agency said Blackburn will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday.

Earlier this month, Blackburn (a Republican from Tennessee) expressed her support for Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

And she said - in a tweet on Twitter at the time - "We must stand by Taiwan, and I salute Pelosi because she did not submit to Biden or the Chinese Communist Party."

I just landed in Taiwan to send a message to Beijing — we will not be bullied. 

The United States remains steadfast in preserving freedom around the globe, and will not tolerate efforts to destroy our nation and our allies.

pic.twitter.com/yVcaYN7yIA

— Sen.

Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 25, 2022

China views US officials' visits as a "provocation" and "sends the wrong signals to the separatists" in Taiwan.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month, at a time when the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced that it would start specific military operations in response to this visit.

China responded to the visit of the US House of Representatives Speaker on August 2 by sending missiles, ships and warplanes to the waters and airspace around Taiwan for several days after the visit.

Taiwan's armed forces have put combat air patrols, warships and ground-based missile systems on alert for any emergency.

At the time, the White House said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan did not threaten China's sovereignty, and that Beijing's threats would not frighten it.

Days after Pelosi's visit, a delegation from the US Congress arrived in Taiwan for a two-day visit, during which he met with President Tsai Ing-wen.

Beijing does not recognize the independence of Taiwan and considers it part of Chinese territory, and rejects any attempts to separate from it. In return, Taiwan does not recognize the central government of Beijing, and the Taiwan government rejects Beijing's demands and says that only the people of the island can decide their future.

Washington pursues a policy of diplomatic recognition of Beijing, not Taipei, but it has real relations with Taiwan and supports its right to self-determination.