House of Representative Nancy Pelosi and a legislative delegation from the United States have arrived in Malaysia.

Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR—House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived here on Tuesday (Aug 2), accompanied by a legislative delegation, as part of an official tour to four Asian nations.

At 10.33 a.m., the special airplane transporting Pelosi and her company landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang, near here, amid heavy security.

Pelosi, 82, and her entourage were welcomed by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon upon their arrival. Brian D. McFeeters, the US Ambassador to Malaysia, was also present.

It is Pelosi’s first trip to Malaysia, and Gregory Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is also on the itinerary. Pelosi is the third in line for the presidency of the United States and the only woman to have served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Pelosi’s second trip after Singapore on Monday before heading to South Korea and Japan, with her tour being widely followed to see if Taiwan is included.

She will make a courtesy visit on Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun at the Parliament house at noon prior postponing for a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a standard of excellence here.

“The tour will concentrate on mutual security, economic collaboration, and democratic government in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Pelosi’s office in an earlier news release.

However, Pelosi’s office made no mention of whether the speaker would visit Taiwan, despite intense speculation since late Monday that she might do so, a move that is sure to enrage China, which sees visits by US officials to Taiwan as having to send a heartening signal to the island’s pro-independence camp.

 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, if Pelosi visits Taiwan, Beijing would take serious steps to preserve national territorial sovereignty and integrity, and the US would bear full responsibility for all repercussions.

Following Malaya’s independence from Britain in 1957, the United States began official connections with Malaysia.

 

In April 2014, Washington and Kuala Lumpur upgraded bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. Bernama-