After stirring up unrest in many countries, Pelosi arrived in Singapore amid a chorus of scolding.
At noon on July 31, the third-largest person in U.S. politics and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi, took off from Hawaii and then stopped at the U.S. military base in Japan at about 8 p.m. on 31 p.m. to refuel. After retaking off, we arrived at Singapore's Yeleba Air Base at about 4 a.m. on August 1.
This route indicates that Pelosi has temporarily shelved a certain plan, but it does not mean that Pelosi will give up completely. According to her published itinerary to Asia, Pelosi will also visit South Korea and Japan, and she may be waiting for opportunities in the process.
Ironically, Pelosi's first leg did not usher in a "good start".
According to Singapore media reports, U.S. House speaker Pelosi arrived in Singapore on Monday and held a meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halima and other cabinet members.
During the talks, Lee welcomed the U.S. commitment to strengthen engagement with Singapore and explored ways to deepen U.S.-Singapore economic cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. In addition, the two sides also discussed hot issues such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and climate change.
Of course, Singapore and the United States are decades of "old friendships", and the above is expected. But this time, in the statement issued by the Singapore Foreign Ministry, there was a very special expression.
The original text of this sentence is: Premier Lee Hsien Loong stressed the importance of stable Sino-US relations for regional peace and security.
Obviously, this is Singapore's exhortation to the United States.
From any point of view, Singapore is definitely not a "big country", but Singapore's geographical location is very critical, as the "crossroads of the East", Singapore guards the main navigation route at the entrance of the Strait of Malacca, which is a partner that the United States, a "sea power", cannot ignore.
Therefore, although Singapore is small, the exhortations of its leaders are still worth pondering by senior US officials.
More critically, Singapore has reasons to be persuaded. The wisdom of small countries is to survive in the cracks, as long as the two big countries do not have serious conflicts, small countries can meet each other left and right. On the contrary, the two big countries "break their wrists", and the first to suffer is the small country sandwiched in the middle.
Don't forget, Singapore is counting on global trade to make money, and if Malacca seafood is blocked because of the war, global trade is bound to be hindered, how can Singapore, which relies on the port economy, be left alone?
Therefore, Lee Hsien Loong has a reason to have to admonish, and this is not the first time he has become a "peacemaker".
For example, during his visit to the United States in March this year, although Biden mentioned the "Indo-Pacific region" six times in the press conference after the talks between the two sides, Lee Hsien Loong still insisted on using the term "Asia-Pacific" in his speech to avoid misleading the outside world into thinking that Singapore supported the group politics represented by the "Asia-Pacific Strategy" of the United States.
In addition, Lee Hsien Loong also euphemistically expressed to the Biden administration at that time: I hope that China and the United States will have more contacts, develop stable and predictable relations, and key inclusive mechanisms to avoid potential flashpoints from escalating into conflicts.
Unfortunately, Lee Hsien Loong's advice 4 months ago was obviously not taken to heart by Pelosi. Therefore, the 82-year-old Democratic Party politician who insisted on going his own way was admonished by Lee Hsien Loong in person on the first day of his "Asian trip".
Needless to say, the failure to usher in the "opening red" will somewhat make Pelosi feel disgraced. But in fact, on August 1, Pelosi did two more things, one to support the table, and the other to get the benefits.
Let's talk about the "bracing table" first.
After arriving in Singapore, Pelosi actually went to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, and a similar trip was also deserved. But this time, waiting for her at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore was a detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Sure enough, Pelosi took a group photo with the U.S. Marine Detachment in front of the embassy building. From the photo, Pelosi stands in the middle, in addition to the politicians on both sides, behind him are American soldiers standing in a semi-arched position.
At first glance, it seems to imply that the U.S. military is protecting Pelosi, which also allows her to easily convey the signal of "military support pelosi" to the outside world, even if the Reagan aircraft carrier fleet did not "greet her", the US F-35 fighters were all turned off.
I have to say that in order to cover up the "solo" nature of this trip, Pelosi can also be regarded as painstaking. As for the Pentagon, perhaps it is because it feels that the previous "retreat" is somewhat unreasonable, so it tries to "make up for the dead sheep" and the meaning.
Let's talk about "taking the benefits".
While in Singapore, Pelosi will also attend a reception at the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, but the trip is highly confidential, not only refusing to allow journalists to accompany her, but even whether or not to give interviews is kept secret.
At the reception at the American Chamber of Commerce, Pelosi and the local business representatives talked about something that was not known. However, it is certain that since the United States and New Zealand want to strengthen economic cooperation, there are bound to be many "big lists" worth talking about.
Coincidentally, Pelosi herself and her husband, Paul, are both good at business. Especially in the financial sector, pelosi and his wife are known as "Capitol Hill stock gods", and the return on investment in 2021 even exceeds Buffett.
You know, Pelosi's annual salary is only $220,000, but the pelosi family's wealth has increased from $41 million to $215 million in 18 years, which makes many people question Pelosi's "insider trading".
Especially not long ago, before the release of the US chip act, Pelosi's husband suddenly bought a large number of semiconductor companies' stocks, further confirming the fact of "insider trading". However, under the pressure of public opinion, Pelosi's husband sold some of the shares he held at a loss.
Therefore, this time to Singapore to discuss cooperation, Pelosi may also have the idea of "making up for losses".