MHMarkets:US and Taiwan officials say Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her Asia tour, a senior Taiwanese government official and a U.S. official said, even as Biden administration officials warned they were concerned about such a high Chinese reaction. For the first time in 25 years, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is not on Pelosi's public itinerary and comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are already at a low point. The Taiwanese official added that she was expected to spend the night in Taiwan. It is unclear when Pelosi will arrive in Taipei. U.S. Defense Department officials are working around the clock to monitor any Chinese activity in the region and develop a plan to keep her safe.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several other members of Congress visited Singapore on Monday, the first leg of their high-profile tour of Asia, drawing international attention amid speculation that she could visit Taiwan. In a statement, Singapore's foreign ministry said the delegation began a two-day visit with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

On Tuesday, Malaysian state media Bernama confirmed that Pelosi and a congressional delegation had arrived in the country and planned to meet with the prime minister and the speaker of parliament. The delegation's itinerary included stops in South Korea and Japan, but officials made no mention of a visit to Taiwan. At a regular Foreign Ministry briefing on Monday, China warned of the "serious political implications" of Pelosi's planned visit to self-governing islands that China claims are part of its territory, and reiterated that its military "will not sit idly by" if Beijing feels its " sovereignty and territorial integrity" are under threat. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reiterated the administration's position that it is up to Pelosi to decide whether to visit, adding: "We don't know what Speaker Pelosi intends to do."

Blinken told the United Nations on Monday afternoon: Congress is an independent, equal branch of government, and this decision is entirely the Speaker's. When asked about the consequences of Pelosi's congressional delegation's visit to Taipei, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: "We want to tell the U.S. side again that China is standing by and the PLA will never sit by and watch. China will take a firm response and strong countermeasures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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