House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened up about her controversial trip to Taiwan that triggered strong blow back from China and a headache for the Biden administration.
"Absolutely, without any question," the California Democrat told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie when asked if the trip to Taiwan was "worth it."
"I have overwhelming bipartisan support for our visit to Taiwan, as Speaker of the House and with the distinguished delegation that I went there with. We were very well received. Thousands of people in the streets."
When asked why she went to Taiwan at this time, Pelosi explained to Guthrie that the trip was originally planned for earlier this year but was delayed due to her positive coronavirus test and also pointed out that Taiwan was not the only stop she made while in Asia.
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"A lot of attention was paid to Taiwan and that’s right but it was a bigger visit than that," Pelosi said. "It followed on the president’s direction that we would have a focus on the Asia Pacific."
Guthrie asked Pelosi about China’s reaction to her "symbolic trip," which included strong condemnation, military drills, sanctions on Pelosi, and the decision to cut off talks with the United States on several issues including climate change.
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"It may appear to be symbolic to you but it was very substantial to us," Pelosi said, while dismissing the idea that climate change talks between China and the United States have been negatively affected.
Pelosi also pointed out that a group of U.S. lawmakers, including Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez, traveled to Taiwan earlier this year with no fanfare.
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"If they can ignore a trip of five senators in a bipartisan way, why would they decide on my trip that it would be different," Pelosi asked. "It’s only a matter of months and even a few weeks before we went, a Republican senator went to Taiwan. So again, there’s something wrong with this picture."
Pelosi reiterated the Biden administration's position that the United States supports the "One China Policy" of one Chinese government and claimed that her trip was meant to "support the status quo."
