China warns of consequences if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan region

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday warned of consequences if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the Taiwan region.

At a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the Chinese side has stated on many occasions that it is firmly opposed to any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region.

"The US Congress is part of the US government and supposed to strictly adhere to the US’s one-China policy,”Zhao said.

Zhao said that it would gravely violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, having a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-US relations and send a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, should Pelosi visit the island of Taiwan.

“China firmly opposes such a visit and urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués by drawing back Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, suspending official contact with the Taiwan region, stopping creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and follow through on the US’s commitment of not supporting 'Taiwan independence', ” Zhao added.

Zhao said that the US must assume full responsibility for any ensuing consequences.

(Compiled by Chen Rui)