China’s government warned on Tuesday (July 19) it would take “forceful measures” if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, after the Financial Times said she would go to the Chinese-claimed Island next month.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said any visit by Pelosi would “seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Pelosi and her delegation will also visit Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, and spend time in Hawaii at the headquarters of U.S. Indo-Pacific command, the paper added, citing people familiar with the matter.
Her office and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it has “not received relevant information” about any visit.
Taiwan faces mounting pressure from China, which considers the democratically ruled island its own territory.
The issue is a constant irritant in ties between Beijing and Washington.
