Beijing is “fully prepared to respond” if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi travels to Taiwan, China’s UN envoy says
Permanent representative of China to the United Nations, Zhang Jun © AFP / Kena Betancur
A possible visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-governed island of Taiwan would undermine relations between China and the US, Beijing’s Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, has said.
Media reports have suggested that Pelosi, who is third in line to the US presidency, could land in Taiwan on Tuesday, becoming the most high-ranking American official to visit the island since 1997.
“Such a visit is apparently dangerous and provocative,” Zhang Jun said during a briefing on Monday. Among other things, it would “send a wrong signal to the separatist elements” in Taiwan, infringe on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, threaten peace and stability in the region, and “undermine the relationship between China and the US,” he added.
“China is fully prepared to respond. If the US insists on making the visit, China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the US has to bear all the serious consequences arising thereof,” the envoy warned.
