U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has begun her official visit to Asia, her office said, which made no mention of Taiwan due to rumors she might visit the island China claims as part of its territory.
Pelosi’s office explained in a statement on Sunday that the Asian tour includes stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.
“Today, our congressional delegation travels to the Indo-Pacific to reaffirm the United States’ strong and unwavering commitment to our allies and friends in the region,” Pelosi said, according to the statement.
Nancy Pelosi and accompanying lawmakers will hold high-level meetings in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan to discuss a wide range of issues, including human rights, climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, trade and security in the region.
Pelosi’s office reported on the trip once it had begun and after the plane carrying her made a stop in Hawaii for refueling.
The Democratic leader travels with five congressmen, including the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Gregory Meeks.
As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is second in line to the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris, and when she travels abroad, she does so in the midst of extensive security, for example, using a military aircraft, explained this week the White House.
The press has been talking for weeks about the possibility of Nancy Pelosi traveling to Taiwan, although her office declined to confirm this for security reasons.
Pelosi’s visit would be the first to Taiwan by a House Speaker since 1997, when Republican Newt Gingrich traveled to the island.
The Chinese government has made it clear that it perceives the trip as a threat, and this week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned that the Asian giant will “respond firmly” and that the US will have to “take on all consequences”. arising from a possible visit by Pelosi.
Taiwan is one of the main sources of conflict between China and the United States, mainly because Washington is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and would be its biggest military ally in the event of a war with the Asian giant.
China, which claims sovereignty over the island, has considered Taiwan a rebellious province since Kuomintang nationalists retreated there in 1949 after losing the civil war against the Communists.
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