The White House has said President Joe Biden respects House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to travel to Taiwan, even after the US leader initially said the Pentagon did not agree with the trip.

Asked about the president's views on Pelosi's visit, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told reporters Tuesday that Biden "respects the President's decision to travel to Taiwan," writes Newsweek, Telegraph reports.

"He respects her decision to go, and he believes it is fully consistent with decades of American policy," Kirby said.

Pelosi's trip marks the first such trip by a House speaker in 25 years.

Reports of her trip first leaked into the public domain through a Financial Times article citing sources familiar with the matter.

Pelosi's office did not confirm the visit until she arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday.

The administration has largely avoided discussing whether or not it approved Pelosi's trip, which has served to heighten tensions with China.

Beijing has called the trip a violation of Chinese sovereignty, as China claims the island as its own.

In an apparent response to Pelosi's visit, Beijing on Thursday announced a series of military exercises in waters around Taiwan.

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