Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi embarked on her tour of Asia, stopping in Singapore.
A visit to Taiwan has dominated the diplomatic trip, with China threatening the US if Pelosi steps foot in the country.
China considers Taiwan as its own. The Communist country told the U.S. to abide by the “One-China” policy. The accepts the “One-China” policy, which recognizes “the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and de-recognizes the Republic of China (ROC) in 1979.”
However, the “One-China” policy does not include Taiwan.
The Liberty Times, a pro-ruling party paper in Taiwan, reported Pelosi would arrive on Tuesday and spend the night (I used Google translate):
It is widely rumored in foreign media and Taiwanese media circles that after Pelosi’s visit to Malaysia, [s]he will take a flight to Taiwan and arrive as soon as tomorrow night. And there is also news that the delegation has booked 2 hotels, which may stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Xinyi District or the Marriott Hotel in Zhongshan District.People familiar with the matter confirmed to this newspaper in the evening that there are indeed relevant plans, and the timing is similar to outside speculation, that is, Pelosi will arrive in Taiwan tomorrow night and stay overnight. Regarding some scholars and experts suggesting that Pelosi [will] communicate with Taiwan via video or a technical short stay, the person bluntly said that since [s]he came to Taiwan, there is no high-profile or low-key difference. The US has planned public activities and is expected to meet the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday. However, the matter involves agility, and Taiwan and the United States are always ready to respond to possible changes.
A person told The Wall Street Journal: “She’s definitely coming. The only variable is whether she spends the night in Taipei.”
Pelosi’s office listed Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia as places she will visit. No one mentioned Taiwan.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping threatened President Joe Biden last week over the visit.
Biden told Xi that the US hasn’t changed its policy.
Saloni Sharma, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said: “A Speaker of the House has visited Taiwan before without incident, as have many members of Congress over the years, including this year. There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or conflict.”
Sharma also said Pelosi will make her own decisions regarding the trip “because Congress is an independent branch of the government.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY