PORT CLINTON, Ohio — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is making history with her trip to Taiwan, and one citizen working in northwest Ohio this summer says its impact is being felt far and wide.
Lily Wu, 22, is from Taiwan and is working at Our Guest Inn and Suites in Port Clinton through InterExchange, a group that provides access to working or studying abroad. Lily says seeing the first high-ranking U.S. official visiting her home in more than 20 years was an incredible sight.
"In Taiwan our news was playing this news all day long," she said. "It was just everywhere on the news; Pelosi, Pelosi, Pelosi. We searched on the internet and we searched her flight. Everyone was focusing on her flight the whole night. And the internet was very crowded and everyone was focused on that."
Pelosi's visit also demonstrated to Lily and her family the strong relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan.
"For me it's very good because it shows the bond with Taiwan and America, and it's helped us to see the bond of friendship," Lily said.
Lily said while the visit is getting a lot of air time on U.S. news, it's the only think Taiwanese news sources have been talking about this week, along with the continued threats from the Chinese government to conduct military exercises in retaliation.
But Lily said with so many new eyes on Taiwan, she is confident more Americans will support Taiwan's fight to be recognized as an independent nation.
"More and more people will start to care about Taiwan because they may think that we are going to be the next Ukraine," she said. "I think it helps us to let the world see us. We are not isolated, and everyone will try to help Taiwan."
Lily will be returning home to Taiwan at the end of September. She's expecting to see the general outlook of her friends, family, and entire nation to be much more optimistic than when she left.
RELATED VIDEO