BEIJING: China’s government warned on Tuesday that it would take “coercive measures” if the US is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosic The Financial Times said he visited Taiwan the following month after visiting the Chinese-claimed island.
Pelosi and her delegation will also visit Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore and spend time in Hawaii at the headquarters of the US Indo-Pacific Command, the paper added, citing people familiar with the matter.
His office and the US State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it “has not received relevant information” about any of the visits.
The Democratic leader’s visit to Taiwan was postponed since April after he tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, China said such a visit would seriously affect Sino-US relations.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said any visit by Pelosi would “seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“If the US side sticks to this path, China will certainly take firm and forceful steps to firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
“The United States must be fully responsible for all the consequences it causes.”
Taiwan is facing increasing pressure from China, which considers the democratically governed island its territory. The issue continues to haunt relations between Beijing and Washington.
However, Taiwan has been pleased with the continued support given by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly spoken of its “rock-solid” commitment to the island.
Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, held an online meeting with Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai in January as he completed his visit to the United States and Honduras.
The Financial Times, citing three people familiar with the situation, said the White House had expressed concerns about the visit.
There were differences in the US administration about whether Pelosi should visit Taiwan, the newspaper quoted two sources as saying.
Some officials believed it was easier to justify a visit in April, as it was just after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
China this month sent fighters across the midline of the Taiwan Strait in what was later described as a provocation. The incident happened during a visit to Taipei by US Senator Rick Scott, a senior Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
News of Pelosi’s August visit came as China asked the United States on Monday to immediately cancel a potential sale of an estimated $108 million worth of military technical assistance to Taiwan.
Pelosi and her delegation will also visit Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore and spend time in Hawaii at the headquarters of the US Indo-Pacific Command, the paper added, citing people familiar with the matter.
His office and the US State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it “has not received relevant information” about any of the visits.
The Democratic leader’s visit to Taiwan was postponed since April after he tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, China said such a visit would seriously affect Sino-US relations.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said any visit by Pelosi would “seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“If the US side sticks to this path, China will certainly take firm and forceful steps to firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
“The United States must be fully responsible for all the consequences it causes.”
Taiwan is facing increasing pressure from China, which considers the democratically governed island its territory. The issue continues to haunt relations between Beijing and Washington.
However, Taiwan has been pleased with the continued support given by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly spoken of its “rock-solid” commitment to the island.
Pelosi, a longtime critic of China, held an online meeting with Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai in January as he completed his visit to the United States and Honduras.
The Financial Times, citing three people familiar with the situation, said the White House had expressed concerns about the visit.
There were differences in the US administration about whether Pelosi should visit Taiwan, the newspaper quoted two sources as saying.
Some officials believed it was easier to justify a visit in April, as it was just after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
China this month sent fighters across the midline of the Taiwan Strait in what was later described as a provocation. The incident happened during a visit to Taipei by US Senator Rick Scott, a senior Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
News of Pelosi’s August visit came as China asked the United States on Monday to immediately cancel a potential sale of an estimated $108 million worth of military technical assistance to Taiwan.