Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday to participate in the second leg of an Asian tour that was overshadowed by an expected stop in Taiwan, which will lead to an escalation of tensions in relations with Beijing, which claims the self-governing island as its territory,
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The plane carrying Pelosi and her delegation landed at the Air Force base under heightened security. She visited the speaker of the country’s lower house of parliament, Azhar Azizan Haroon, and scheduled a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaacob.
Although there were no official announcements, local Taiwanese media reported that Pelosi would arrive in Taipei on Tuesday evening, becoming the highest-ranking elected US official to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years. The United Daily News, Liberty Times and China Times – Taiwan’s three largest newspapers – reported, citing unnamed sources, that she would fly to Taipei and spend the night there after visiting Malaysia.
China warned of consequences, saying its military “will not sit idly by” if Pelosi continues her visit. China’s threats of retaliation have raised fears of a new crisis in the Taiwan Strait, which divides the two sides, which could shake global markets and supply chains.
The White House on Monday condemned Beijing’s rhetoric, saying the United States was not interested in escalating tensions with China and “will not bite the bait or rattle the gun.”
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Taiwan and China split in 1949 after the Communists won a civil war on the mainland. The US maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan, even though it recognizes Beijing as the Chinese government.
Beijing sees official American contacts with Taiwan as an encouragement to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a move that US leaders say they do not support.
Pelosi began her Asian tour in Singapore on Monday, but her likely visit to Taiwan has raised concerns in the region.
Source: Ukrgate
