House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Called For Stopover In Taiwan On Asia Pacific Tour, China: US Is Responsible For All Consequences

JAKARTA - The Chinese government has issued a warning that it will take firm action if the Chairman of the United States House of Representatives (DPR) Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan on the sidelines of a visit to the Asia Pacific region.

The Financial Times said Pelosi and her delegation will visit Taiwan next month, as well as Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, before spending time in Hawaii at the US Indo-Pacific command headquarters, citing people familiar with the matter.

His office and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had "not received any relevant information" about any visits.

The Democratic Party leader's visit to Taiwan has been postponed since last April, after he tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, China said such a visit would greatly affect China-USA. connection.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said any visit by Pelosi would "severely damage China's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

"If the US side firmly adheres to this path, China will definitely take firm and decisive steps to firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zhao said.

"The United States must take full responsibility for all the consequences caused by this," he stressed.

Pelosi, a long-time critic of China, held an online meeting with Taiwanese Vice President William Lai in January, as he concluded visits to the United States and Honduras.

Meanwhile, the White House has expressed concern about the trip, the Financial Times said, citing three people familiar with the situation. There are divisions within the US Administration over whether Pelosi should visit Taiwan, the paper quoted two sources as saying.

Some officials believe it is easier to justify a visit in April, because it was only after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he added.

Taiwan is facing increasing pressure from China, which regards the democratically-ruled island as its own territory. This issue has constantly plagued relations between Beijing and Washington.

Taiwan, however, has been heartened by the continued support offered by the Biden Administration, which has repeatedly spoken of a "steadfast" commitment to the island.

This month, China sent its fighter jets across the center line of the Taiwan Strait in what it described as a provocation. The incident occurred during a visit to Taipei by US Senator Rick Scott, a senior Republican politician and member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

News of Pelosi's August visit comes after China asked the United States on Monday to immediately cancel a potential sale of military technical assistance to Taiwan worth about $108 million.