The special aircraft carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation touched down at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang at about 10.30am amid tight security.

Pelosi, 82, and her delegation, which included Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, were greeted by Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon. Also present was US ambassador to Malaysia Brian D McFeeters.

It is Pelosi’s maiden visit to Malaysia. She is number three in the line of US presidential succession and the only woman who has served as the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Kuala Lumpur is Pelosi’s second stop after Singapore on Monday before she heads to South Korea and Japan, with her tour being closely watched to see if Taiwan is also on her itinerary.

Pelosi is expected to pay a courtesy call on Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun at the Parliament building at noon before adjourning for a luncheon meet with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob at a hotel here.

“The trip will focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region,” said a press release from Pelosi’s office.

However, Pelosi’s office did not mention whether she would visit Taiwan amid intense speculation since late on Monday that she might make a stopover in the island, a move that is set to draw China’s wrath as it views visits by US officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in the island.

The Chinese foreign ministry had said that in the event of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Beijing will take decisive measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the US will be fully responsible for all the consequences resulting from the visit.

The US established diplomatic ties with Kuala Lumpur in 1957 following Malaya’s independence.

Washington and Kuala Lumpur elevated bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership in April 2014.