US Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan

Agencies | Washington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the island in 25 years.

Pelosi’s visit triggered increased tensions between China and the United States. Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation, setting the region on edge.

Pelosi is currently on a tour of Asia and while neither she nor her office confirmed the Taipei visit, multiple US and Taiwanese media outlets reported it was on the cards. 

The plane carrying Pelosi and her delegation left Malaysia earlier Tuesday after a brief stop that included a working lunch with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei where Pelosi was expected to stay amid heightened security. Two buildings in the capital lit up LED displays with words of welcome, including the iconic Taipei 101 building, which said “Welcome to Taiwan, Speaker Pelosi.”

The Biden administration did not explicitly urge Pelosi to call off the visit while seeking to assure Beijing it would not signal any change in US policy on Taiwan.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby underscored that the decision on whether to visit the island was ultimately Pelosi’s. He noted that members of Congress have routinely visited Taiwan over the years.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also urged China to “act responsibly” if Pelosi proceeds with the visit.

Pelosi is to travel to Japan and South Korea later this week.