House Speaker Pelosi starts Asia tour in Singapore

Talks with Singaporean officials marked the beginning of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Asian tour. The speaker is scheduled to visit Malaysia on Tuesday and South Korea on Thursday. Her schedule for Wednesday was not officially released, but Taiwanese media reported she would arrive on the island Tuesday night. The speaker said over the weekend she would visit Japan, as well. On Monday, Zhao Lijian, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said “there will be serious consequences” if Pelosi goes to Taiwan. The White House has responded that there is no need to “come to blows” if Pelosi visits the contested island nation, and the visit would not change U.S. policy. On Monday night, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the decision to visit Taiwan was ultimately Pelosi's.

Why tour Asia? Pelosi’s statement over the weekend said she would discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, security, and “democratic governance” with the nations she will visit. On Monday, her discussions with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yacob and other Cabinet ministers also included talks on how to increase economic cooperation between the United States and Singapore.

Dig deeper: Read Hunter Baker’s column in WORLD Opinions about whether Pelosi should visit Taiwan.