Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan, reports say, as China vows ‘strong measures’ in response
- ‘There is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with long-standing US policy into some sort of crisis,’ says US national security spokesman
- The US speaker of the House is expected to meet with Taiwanese officials including president, Tsai Ing-wen, according to Bloomberg
China said on Monday that it would take “firm and strong measures” in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s expected arrival in Taiwan, as a war of words over the latest flashpoint in US-China relations escalated.
Beijing’s representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, spoke shortly after the White House appeared to shift its stance towards Pelosi’s reported trip to Taiwan, saying that the US will “not be intimidated” by China.
“This visit is provocative, and if [Pelosi] insists on making it then China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zhang said. “We allow no one to cross this red line.”
Pelosi is expected to spend the night on the island, CNN quoted an unnamed senior Taiwanese official as saying, and Bloomberg reported that she is scheduled to meet with Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, on Wednesday.
While the White House has previously issued warnings about the speaker’s visit – with President Joe Biden saying two weeks ago that the US military did not think it was a good idea – White House national security spokesman John Kirby’s comments on Monday afternoon showed a change of tone about the trip.