Pelosi visits Malaysia ahead of possible stop in Taiwan

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on Tuesday, in what could be her stop prior to the visit to Taiwan, which has provoked threats from the Chinese communist regime.

It is Pelosi's second stop on her Asian tour after visiting Singapore. The Speaker met with her counterpart Azhar Azizan Harun at the Singapore Parliament and participated in a lunch with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Pelosi has issued a statement on her visit highlighting the discussion held "on advancing our shared goals for a free and secure Indo-Pacific." The Speaker notes that her discussions with Malaysian leaders "included security challenges, economic opportunities and governance priorities."

The controversial visit to Taiwan

The representative continues not to hint at any intention of visiting Taiwan, although media outlets such as CNN insist that the visit will take place within hours. Others, such as the Taiwanese newspaperss The United Daily News, Liberty Times, and China Times go further and assure that the Speaker of the House will spend Tuesday night already in Taiwan and will remain there on Wednesday.

China has warned that its military "will not stand idly by" if Pelosi eventually visits Taiwan. The regime recalls that the Speaker of the House is the "number 3 official of the U.S. government," so a visit to Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own, "would provoke an atrocious political impact," they point out.

While the Biden Administration discourages this visit, the House of Representatives defends the President's right to make a stop in Taiwan. Numerous congressmen, both Democrats and Republicans, have defended Pelosi's free movement beyond communist threats. If it becomes effective, it would be the first trip by a Speaker of the House of Representatives to Taiwan since 1997.