Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, arrived in Singapore early Monday morning to begin her Asian tour.
A Singapore Foreign Ministry spokesman said Pelosi will meet with President Halima Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as meeting with a number of government ministers and is expected to attend a party with the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.
In a statement released over the weekend, Pelosi said she would visit Malaysia, South Korea and Japan to discuss trade, the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, security and democratic governance. The news does not confirm that she may visit Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against interference in Beijing’s relations with Taiwan during a phone call last week with his American counterpart, Joe Biden.
If she makes the visit, Pelosi will become the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan since former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in 1997.
The Biden administration tried to reassure Beijing that there was no reason for an “attack” and that if such a visit took place, it would not mean any change in US policy.
