If US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi comes to Taiwan, she would likely arrive this evening or tomorrow morning after visiting Malaysia, a US analyst said yesterday.
According to the China Press, a Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper, she is to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today for her second stop.
Although the Malaysian government has not announced an official itinerary, the paper cited a person familiar with the plans as saying she would only stay for a few hours.
Photo: AFP / Singaporean Ministry of Communications and Information
Meanwhile, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo’s office yesterday said he would meet with Pelosi on Thursday morning before holding a news conference and eating lunch together.
Based on Pelosi’s itinerary thus far, Josh Rogin, a political analyst for the Washington Post and CNN, on Twitter yesterday predicted that “the Taiwan stop would likely be after her Malaysia stop, meaning Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.”
Sources yesterday told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday that the time of Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan would be close to what others have speculated.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Arrangements are being made, including a public appearance with a visit to the Legislative Yuan tomorrow, they said, adding she would also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
However, given the sensitivity involved, plans would change according to situations, they added.
Meanwhile, local media quoted other sources as saying that Pelosi could possibly stay at the Grand Hyatt Taipei in Xinyi District (信義) or the Marriott Taipei in Zhongshan District (中山).
Asked about the potential visit, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) did not confirm or deny the possibility, but said Taiwan welcomed all foreign guests and promised to make the best arrangements with respect to their itineraries.
Pelosi arrived in Singapore early yesterday for the first stop on her Asia tour.
Pelosi met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍), President Halimah Yacob and other Cabinet members, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Lee welcomed a US commitment to strong engagement with the region and the two sides discussed ways to deepen US economic engagement through initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the ministry said in a statement.
Lee and Pelosi also discussed the war in Ukraine, tensions surrounding Taiwan and China, and climate change, it said.
Lee “highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security,” it added, in an apparent allusion to reports that Pelosi could visit Taiwan.
In Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) reiterated earlier warnings, saying “there will be serious consequences if she insists on making the visit.”
He did not spell out any specific consequences.
“We are fully prepared for any eventuality,” he said. “The People’s Liberation Army will never sit by idly. China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Washington has tried to assure Beijing there is no reason to “come to blows” and that if such a visit occurred, it would signal no change in US policy.
MORE ARRIVALS ALLOWED: Taiwan yesterday increased its cap on arrivals to 60,000 from 50,000 ahead of a full border opening with a weekly cap of 150,000 on Oct. 13 Travelers arriving in Taiwan from Oct. 13 would no longer be required to quarantine on arrival and visitors of all nationalities would be allowed to enter, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced yesterday. However, the number of arrivals would be capped at 150,000 per week, he added. Travelers aged two or older would be given four rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits on arrival and be asked to monitor their health for seven days, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a news conference. Under the new arrival protocol, travelers would have to take a test on the day of arrival or the day after, followed
SOVEREIGN NATION: The Chinese premier’s remarks about the CCP’s resolve to achieve unification sought to undermine the legitimacy of Taiwan, the MAC said Taiwan will never accept Beijing’s attempts to undermine its sovereignty, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at its National Day celebrations in Beijing vowed to achieve unification with Taiwan. The CCP’s statement was not conducive to peaceful cross-strait relations, the council said. The event, hosted by the Chinese State Council, featured Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強), the other five CCP Politburo Standing Committee members and Vice President Wang Qishan (王岐山), as well as 500 guests from China and abroad. Taiwanese based in China also attended the ceremony, Xinhua news agency
The Kaohsiung District Court has ordered a man to pay a convenience store NT$600 (US$18.83) in compensation for using his own mug to refill a pot of tea eggs, ruling against the store manager’s NT$1 million claim. In May, during the peak of a domestic COVID-19 surge, a man surnamed Lee (李) added water from his mug to a pot of tea eggs after seeing it was nearly dry. A clerk stopped Lee, then discarded all 60 eggs in the pot, worth an estimated NT$600, after consulting with the manager, it said. The manager sued Lee, demanding NT$1 million for damage to the
Washington is evaluating a transfer of weapons systems requested by Taiwan, according to a copy of a report by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) that is to be submitted to lawmakers tomorrow. Asked whether the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile would be among the weapons systems, the ministry refused to comment, but said that it would not rule out announcing the specifics later this year. The ministry’s domestically sourced high-priority military investments include submarines, next-generation light frigates, rescue ships, advanced trainer jets and infantry fighting vehicles, the report said. Planned deals include F-16A and F-16B jet performance upgrades, navigation and targeting
RSS