Taiwan’s foreign ministry has stayed silent so far, declining to confirm the visit again on Tuesday. Taiwan always welcomes international visitors to gain a better understanding and display their support, spokeswoman Joanne Ou said at briefing in Taipei. (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pelosi-controversial-visit-nears-taiwan-085346320.html) The muted political response in Taiwan may be imitated by other states across Asia. The furor around Pelosi’s visit risks straining relations throughout the region as governments confront the reality of ratcheting tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Both the US and China have sent diplomats to engage with Southeast Asian leaders. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit Cambodia and the Philippines in August. As Pelosi makes planned stops through Singapore and Malaysia, it’s likely that local officials will try to avoid being seen too closely allied with Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. Still, there is some unease over the visit, with tensions across the Taiwan Strait at their highest level since 1996 when Lee Teng-hui was elected president in Taiwan’s first direct election.