The Chinese government warned on Tuesday it would take “strong measures” if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, after the Financial Times said she would travel to the Chinese-controlled island next month.
The London newspaper, quoting people familiar with the matter, added that Pelosi and her entourage will also visit Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, and will also spend some time in Hawaii, the headquarters of the US command in the Indo-Pacific.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it “has not received any relevant information” about any of the visits.
Regarding the report, Drew Hamill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said:
Due to our long standing security protocols, we do not confirm or refuse international travel in advance.
The Democratic leader’s visit to Taiwan has been postponed from April after he tested positive for COVID-19. China said at the time that such a visit would seriously affect Sino-US relations.
Just like this We have already informedIn early July, the Chinese military announced that it had recently conducted combat readiness exercises, patrols and military exercises in the seas and airspace around Taiwan, all timed to coincide with US Senator Rick Scott’s visit to Taiwan.
A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman noted at the time that Rick Scott’s visit would seriously undermine US-China relations and increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
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