U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will travel to Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia from Sunday but made no mention of Taiwan after reports of her potential trip to the island sparked an outcry from China.
Pelosi said the congressional delegation she is leading will discuss security, trade, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, human rights and democratic governance during the tour.
"Today, our Congressional delegation travels to the Indo-Pacific to reaffirm America's strong and unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region," Pelosi said in a press release.
China has been increasing its pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.
At the same time, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has been enhancing ties with the self-ruled democratic island. A visit by Pelosi would be the first from a serving U.S. House speaker in 25 years.
The potential visit has met strong warnings from China, with the country's military saying it "will not sit idly by" if it were to go ahead. On a call Thursday between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two leaders also traded warnings over destabilizing acts regarding Taiwan.
During her stay in Japan, Pelosi is likely to hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Japan's House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In April, Pelosi postponed a planned visit to Asia including Japan after testing positive for the coronavirus. She had also considered visiting Taiwan during the trip, Taiwanese and Japanese media reported.
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