Taiwan president speaks about China with ex-Speaker Pelosi while in Hawaii

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Lai Ching-te held a 20-minute call with former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday during a visit to Hawaii, during which they discussed China's military threats, the official Central News Agency reported.

Lai is making what is officially a stopover in Hawaii while on a week-long visit to the Pacific, a trip that China has condemned saying it opposes any such transit stops by Taiwanese leaders on U.S. territory.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position Lai and his government reject.

Taiwan's Central News Agency, citing presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo, said the conversation between Lai and Pelosi was warm and cordial, and the two talked about semiconductors, AI and China's military threat to Taiwan.

Pelosi remains a senior member of the Democratic Party.

China held war games around the island in 2022, furious at then-Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan.

Security sources have told Reuters that China could hold more drills around Taiwan to coincide with Lai's Pacific trip.

The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

From Hawaii, Lai goes on to Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries to retain official relations with Taipei.

He will also make a stop over in the U.S. territory of Guam.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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