US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia, according to a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official, despite warnings from Biden administration officials, who are worried about China’s response to such a high-profile visit.
The stop — the first for a US House speaker in 25 years — is not currently on Pelosi’s public itinerary and comes at a time when US-China relations are already at a low point.
The Taiwanese official added that she is expected to stay in Taiwan overnight. It is unclear when exactly Pelosi will land in Taipei.
The US official added that Defense Department officials are working around the clock on monitoring any Chinese movements in the region and securing a plan to keep her safe.
Pelosi arrived in Singapore on Monday for the first official stop of the Asia tour, where she met with the country’s president, prime minister and other top officials.
On Tuesday, Malaysia’s state media Bernama confirmed that Pelosi and a congressional delegation had arrived in the country and were scheduled to meet with the prime minister and parliament speaker.
The delegation’s itinerary includes stops in South Korea and Japan, but no official mention has been made of a visit to Taiwan.(CNN)