Nancy Pelosi begins her Asian tour, meets leaders in Singapore
Kuala Lumpur, August 1
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with officials in Singapore on Monday at the start of her Asian tour, as questions swirled over a possible stop in Taiwan that has fuelled tension with Beijing.
Pelosi met Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halimah Yacob and other Cabinet members, the Foreign Ministry said.
We would like to tell the US again that our Army will never sit idle and will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Zhao Lijian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman
Lee welcomed a US commitment to strong engagement with the region and the two sides discussed ways to deepen US economic engagement through initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the ministry said in a statement.
Lee and Pelosi also discussed the war in Ukraine, tensions surrounding Taiwan and mainland China, and climate change, it said. Lee “highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security,” it added, in an apparent allusion to reports that Pelosi may visit Taiwan.
In a statement over the weekend, Pelosi said she would visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan to discuss trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, security and “democratic governance.” She didn’t confirm reports that she might visit Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing as its own territory.
Chinese President Xi Jinping had warned against meddling in Beijing’s dealings with the island in a phone call last week with US President Joe Biden. — AP
Visit under wraps
- Pelosi was to attend a cocktail reception on Monday with the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
- There is no media access to her visit, which has been kept under tight wraps
- She is scheduled to be in Malaysia on Tuesday
- On Thursday, she is to meet South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin Pyo in Seoul for talks on security in the Indo-Pacific region, economic cooperation and climate crisis, Kim’s office said in a statement
- Pelosi’s schedule for Wednesday remains unclear and there were no details on when she will head to Japan
China warns of serious consequences
- Zhao Lijian said it would be “a gross interference in China’s internal affairs” if Pelosi visits Taiwan, and warned that it would lead to “very serious developments and consequences.”
- China views visits by US officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in the island. Reuters
