1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Let's get more now on what you were talking about 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: with your top story. The US how speaking, Nancy Pelosi 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: to visit Asian countries, including here in Singapore and Japan, 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: but her office has made no mention of a stopover 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: in Taiwan. Joining us to discuss is Samson Ellis Taipei 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: Bureau Chief. Uh. Sam, you know, we're just waiting to 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: see whether or not Nancy Pelosi will defy these Chinese 8 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: warnings with a stop in Taiwan. Tell us the latest here, 9 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: as we don't have any kind of indication on her 10 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: itinery that that's actually going to happen. Well, that is 11 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: precisely the big question we're all trying to answer here, 12 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: Will she come to Taiwan or not? So she finally 13 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: released the official itinerary of her trip yesterday that includes 14 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: Singapore first of all, Malaysia Career, and Japan. But obviously 15 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: the question is is Taiwan going to be added to 16 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: the trip as an unofficial stop. Um. So, there was 17 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: a lot of eyes on her trip to Asia over 18 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: the weekend, and SPA nineteen was the key aircraft identifier. 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: Tens of thousands of people were watching on flight radar 20 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: over the weekend to see if it veered towards Taiwan. 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: It ended up not doing so. I mean, it did 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: switch off its tracker for a while, leaving everybody watching 23 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: rather disappointed. But when it did turn its transponder on again, 24 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: it was landing in Singapore. UM, so obviously she didn't 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: land in Taiwan on her way to Asia or arriving 26 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: in Asia. But so they are. Now. The question is 27 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: whether or not she's going to stop off in Taiwan 28 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: on the way out, maybe after she visits Japan on Thursday. Sam, 29 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say that the US has 30 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: been frustrated by Beijing's refusal to condemn the war in Ukraine. 31 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering whether or not you think, as Pelosi 32 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: takes the delegation to places like Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: and Japan, whether the conversation is going to focus on Taiwan, 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: and whether or not she is just making sure that 35 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: those US um friends, let's call them friends at this point, 36 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: are willing to stand behind any message that needs to 37 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: be sent to Beijing from the US perspective as it 38 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: applies to Taiwan. Well, Asia is very much divided on 39 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: this issue. You typically have nations in Southeast Asia who 40 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: are a little bit more circumspect in offering support to 41 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: Taiwan because they are much more dependent on China for 42 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: trade and manufacturing and you know, the economic TiSER so 43 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: much more important to them. And then you have the 44 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: likes of Japan, which has largely been relatively neutral on 45 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: the Taiwan issue, but over the past two years there's 46 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: been a real significant shift in how Japan is willing 47 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: to publicly state its support for for Taiwan UM and 48 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, the securety of the Taiwan 49 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: straight equals Japan's national security too, so they've um they 50 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: really are a little bit of an outlier in Asia, 51 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: and their willingness to say things about Taiwan that you know, 52 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: possibly risk annoying Beijing. UM. And so definitely there's a 53 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: there's a there's different stances across Asia about how the 54 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: US interacts with Taiwan and the willingness to speak out 55 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: in favor of it. What is the reaction from the 56 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: people in Taiwan to this, you know, potential trip and 57 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: would a trip to Taiwan from Nancy Pelosi actually benefit Taiwan? Well, 58 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: it's been very interesting to watch the reaction here in Taiwan. 59 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: It's been a collective shrug. To be perfectly honest. It 60 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: has not dominated the news cycle at all over the 61 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: last week really. I mean, it's been in the news, 62 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: but it hasn't been the top story throughout UM. And 63 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: it really is seen as a you know, partially because 64 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: there are questions about whether this trip really is in 65 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: Taiwan's best interests um. You know, it does it bring 66 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: any concrete benefit to Taiwan, um. You know, in some 67 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: ways it does create a bit of a headache for Taiwan. 68 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: You know, it thrust Taiwan very much into the global limelight. Uh. 69 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: And Taiwan isn't really able to you know, Taiwan always 70 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: welcomes international recognition or or a little bit of you know, 71 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: it's time in the lightline limelight in the international stage 72 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: because it is typically denied a lot of participation in 73 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: international affairs UM. And so they welcome all of these 74 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: kinds of trips. But it becomes very difficult for Taiwan 75 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: to then like push back potentially on the United States 76 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: and say, hey, actually, is this in our best interest 77 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: right now? You know, do we really need to have 78 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:02,119 Speaker 1: respond to an angry re action from China to this trip. 79 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: But on the other side, you know what Pelosi's trip 80 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: does do is it does demonstrate continued, on going strong 81 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: US support for Taiwan from across the US political spectrum. 82 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: Is there's not just an executive issue that on the 83 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: legendstive of sides, Taiwan does enjoy incredibly strong support in 84 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: the US at a time when President Biden is hoping 85 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: to have a face to face meeting with Chinese President 86 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: Chi Junping. I mean, it was last week that Biden 87 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: essentially supported the One China policy. So this is a 88 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: very difficult piece of real estate for the US to 89 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: try to negotiate, no doubt, and I think it's become 90 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: quite clear over the past two weeks that there is 91 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of there's not unity on the U 92 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: s side about this trip that the White House would 93 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: have may be preferred it not to happen, especially right now. Um. 94 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: And then you know, obviously there's the question of how 95 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: much that's understood in beiging that you know, this division 96 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: of powers, and that the White House cannot order Pelosi 97 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: to back off the trip. Um they simply don't have 98 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: the power to do so. Nanti Plosi is obviously very 99 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: much her own woman, and if she wants to go, 100 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 1: she's going to go, all right. We will continue to monitor. 101 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: Thank you so much too, Bloomberg Sampson llis Taipei Bureau 102 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: chief with us from Taipei.