The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, will begin a tour of four Asian countries today (Sunday), her office said, without mentioning Taiwan amid intense speculation that she may visit the Chinese-controlled island.
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a congressional delegation to the Indo-Pacific region, including visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan," her office said in a press release. May make other stops.
"The visit will focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," it said.
Gregory Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was among the registered delegation.
China sees visits by American officials to Taiwan as encouragement to the island's pro-independence camp, and Beijing has stepped up military activity near the island in the past week.
Washington has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday that Washington should abide by the one-China principle and "those who play with fire will die because of it".
Biden told Xi that US policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington firmly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke was quoted in state media as saying on Sunday that Beijing would "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," referring to Taiwan.
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