US House Speaker Keeps Silent on Taiwan Visit... Trump Criticizes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Amid escalating US-China tensions over the issue of visiting Taiwan, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, did not disclose whether Taiwan was included in her itinerary until just before departing on her Asia tour.

On the 29th (local time), during a regular press conference, Speaker Pelosi refused to confirm her schedule when asked about a visit to Taiwan, stating, "I will never say for security reasons." She is scheduled to depart for Asia that afternoon. The countries confirmed for the tour so far are South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, but it remains undecided whether she will visit Taiwan.

Earlier, when news broke that Speaker Pelosi was planning a visit to Taiwan, China strongly opposed it. Some reports suggested that the Chinese military might deploy fighter jets to block Pelosi's aircraft from landing in Taiwan or to interfere with the flight. On the previous day, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned during a call with President Joe Biden, saying, "If you play with fire, you will get burned."

If Speaker Pelosi proceeds with the Taiwan visit, US-China relations are expected to deteriorate further. President Joe Biden has stated that it is a matter for Pelosi, as the head of the legislature, to decide personally. Within Congress, there are also opinions supporting a visit to Taiwan. Especially among Republicans, there is a stance that they should not back down in response to China's opposition. Republican Representative Steve Chabot, chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, recently said, "The United States must show solidarity with Taiwan and should not shrink back as China wants."

If Pelosi, the third-highest-ranking official in the US power hierarchy, visits Taiwan, she will be the highest-ranking official to do so since 1997. Previously, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led a delegation to Taiwan in 1997 during the Bill Clinton administration.

Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump strongly criticized Speaker Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan on the same day. In a post on the social media platform 'Truth Social,' Trump said about Pelosi's push to visit Taiwan, "She should not create chaos over China issues," adding, "She is only making the situation worse." However, local media reported that this statement differs in tone from his past stance during his presidency, when he took a hard line against China, as well as from the current Republican Party's position.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.