UNITED STATES: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker at the House of Representatives, is rumored to be in Taiwan in the coming weeks, which has drawn irksome responses from China.
According to the reports cited by a US official and a senior member of the Taiwanese government, Pelosi will visit Taiwan as part of her trip to Asia.
US officials have expressed concerns over Pelosi’s VIP visit to Taiwan and persistently demotivated her to cancel her trip to Taiwan over fears of the Chinese wrathful response.
Pelosi’s public itinerary does not include the trip, which is strange especially since this is the first for a US Speaker in 25 years and comes at a crucial time when US-China relations have been full of tension and anticipation.
It is expected that the Speaker will stay in Taiwan overnight, according to a Taiwanese official. However, the date of arrival is yet to be known.
Nikkei Asia has reported that prior to Pelosi’s expected visit to the Asian country, the US had already begun the process of relocating equipment such as aircraft carriers and big planes, closer to Taiwan, perhaps the reason for China’s concerns over US interference in military and political operations.
Despite prior dismissal of any reports confirming Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, it seems the military is now all set to establish a safe haven for her to reside in during her stay, in case she decides to make this stop.
A reporter from a Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS, Tingting Liu, has tweeted that Pelosi is expected to arrive in Taipei on Tuesday evening.
Chinese officials have not yet commented on these recent developments but further tensions between the US and China are much anticipated.
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