OREANDA-NEWS The US military hardware, including aircraft carriers and large aircraft, have been moved closer to Taiwan, amid House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s current tour of the Indo­­-Pacific region and reports about her possible trip to the island, according to the news outlet Nikkei Asia.

The information comes after the China Times quoted unnamed sources as saying that Pelosi may arrive in Taiwan on August 2 and meet with the island's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, the next day.The sources claimed that the House Speaker is also expected to hold a meeting with other high-ranking officials, possibly in Taiwan, and leave the island on Wednesday. The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the report.

This followed the House speaker embarking last week on a trip to the Indo-Pacific, which includes visits to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. Pelosi did not specify whether Taiwan is on her schedule, amid escalating tensions between China and the US.In a separate development last week, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) kicked off military drills, conducting a firing exercise in the southeastern province of Fujian across the strait from Taiwan and closing the designated maritime area.Earlier, Beijing issued several warnings, saying that Washington would “bear the consequences” if Pelosi visits Taiwan, something that Chinese authorities say would violate the “One China Policy”.As part of the “One China Policy”, Beijing opposes all forms of official contact between foreign governments and Taiwan, which is seen by Chinese authorities as an essential part of the country.