US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan this week and said her visit was intended to make it "unequivocally clear" that the United States would "not abandon" the democratically governed island.
It's the first time in 25 years that a US House speaker has visited Taiwan. It came during Pelosi's tour of Asia and at a low point in US-China relations.
Taiwan has emerged as a serious point of conflict between the United States and China, as US officials fear a more imminent Chinese move on the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. The visit prompted warnings from China as well as the Biden administration, which had briefed the speaker about the risks of visiting.
China responded to Pelosi's trip by announcing military exercises, and multiple missiles were fired toward waters near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan on Thursday.
Throughout her career in Congress, Pelosi has a long history of representing the United States to Chinese officials, including standing up to Beijing as well as presidents from her own party.
Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.
