Why the next US House speaker won’t follow Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan playbook

The Democrat expected to become US House speaker has met Taiwan’s former leader and backed legislation supporting the island yet is unlikely to follow Nancy Pelosi’s example in pursuing high-profile engagement with Taipei, analysts said.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House’s top-ranking Democrat, announced his bid for the speakership on Wednesday after Democrats won a majority of seats in the US midterm elections. He is poised to officially become House speaker following a floor vote on the first day of the new Congress in January.

In March 2023, Jeffries met then-Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen in New York during her transit through the United States. He described their discussion at the time as “very productive”, covering mutual security and economic interests, alongside a shared commitment to democracy and freedom.