Singapore, August 1 (ANI): As US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi kicked off her Asia tour, the delegation led by her made a courtesy call to President Halimah Yacob, and also met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan today. The Congressional delegation led by Nancy Pelosi comprises Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks (D-New York), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Mark Takano (D-California), Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-Washington), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois), and Congressman Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore said in a statement. The delegation is visiting Singapore from August 1 to 2.
President Halimah and the Congressional delegation affirmed the excellent and longstanding ties between Singapore and the US and also discussed the close-standing partnership between the two countries. They also exchanged views on ways to foster greater social cohesion in Singapore and the US.
During their meeting, PM Lee and the Congressional delegation affirmed the deep and multi-faceted partnership between Singapore and the US, underpinned by robust cooperation across the defence, security and economic spheres, the press release stated. PM Lee welcomed the commitment expressed by the Congressional delegation for strong US engagement in the region, and both sides discussed ways to deepen the US economic engagement in the region through initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
PM Lee and the Congressional delegation also exchanged views on key international and regional developments, including the war in Ukraine, cross-strait relations, and climate change. Moreover, PM Lee also highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security, the statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore said.
The Congressional delegation also had meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam. (ANI)
Despite China’s Threat, Pelosi to go ahead with Taiwan visit, reports Wall Street Journal
Washington [US], August 1 (ANI): US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is going to visit Taiwan, with scheduled meetings with government officials at the self-governed island that China threatens to forcefully overtake, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday. Nancy Pelosi, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, is also expected to hold a meeting with other high-ranking officials while in Taiwan on Tuesday and is scheduled to leave the island a day later.
“She’s definitely coming,” the people whom Pelosi is planning to meet with in Taiwan have informed WSJ of her arrival. “The only variable is whether she spends the night in Taipei.”
In a statement that was released on July 31, Nancy Pelosi’s office said the US House speaker is leading a Congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, including visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. However, there was no mention of Taiwan which China regards as its own.
Despite no reference to the visit to the self-ruled island that is facing a security threat from China, Nancy Pelosi’s plane which departed for the Asia tour on Sunday, has become the most tracked flight on FlightRadar24.
Since the reports of the US House Speaker’s visit were released last month, Beijing has been warning of Nancy’s Taiwan visit saying that it will act strongly and take countermeasures if the US side insists on going ahead with the visit. In a press briefing last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Pelosi’s Taiwan visit will have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-US relations.
Even Biden had said the US military believes it is not a “good idea” for House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to travel to Taiwan as planned. “The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now,” Biden was quoted as saying by the White House press pool.
China has on many occasions firmly opposed any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region. While warning against the US House speaker’s Taiwan visit, a Chinese state media outlet said visiting Taiwan is definitely a red line that Pelosi must never cross. In a phone call between the US and Chinese president last week, Xi Jinping told Biden that China would safeguard national sovereignty and said those who play with fire will perish by it. Biden, meanwhile, told the Chinese President that US policy on Taiwan hasn’t changed and that Washington opposes unilateral changes to the status quo. (ANI)
Pelosi to arrive in Taiwan tomorrow, agenda may include meetings with leadership: Report
Washington [US], August 1 (ANI): US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to arrive in Taiwan on August 2 and meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, according to Sputnik News Agency citing a Chinese media outlet.
The US official is also expected to hold a meeting with other high-ranking officials while in Taiwan and leave the island on Wednesday, as per reports. Last month, Beijing had warned the US against the House of Representatives Speaker’s Taiwan visit saying that it will act strongly and take countermeasures if the US side insists on going ahead with the visit.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Pelosi’s Taiwan visit will have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-US relations.
US President Joe Biden had said the US military believes it is not a “good idea” for House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to travel to Taiwan as planned. “The military thinks it’s not a good idea right now,” Biden said on Wednesday as quoted by the White House press pool.
China has on many occasions firmly opposed any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region. While warning against US House speaker’s Taiwan visit, a Chinese state media outlet said, “If the news is true and the trip happens, it will be one of the most egregious provocations by the US to China on the Taiwan question since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US.”
A Global Times editorial said visiting Taiwan is definitely a red line that Pelosi must never cross. Back in April, Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan had been postponed after she tested positive for COVID-19. At that time, Beijing had resolutely opposed any official exchange between the United States and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Pelosi kicked off her Asia tour, the delegation led by her made a courtesy call to President Halimah Yacob, and also met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan today.
The Congressional delegation led by Nancy Pelosi comprises Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks (D-New York), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Mark Takano (D-California), Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-Washington), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois), and Congressman Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore said in a statement. (ANI)
