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US Democrat Pelosi: China threatens "vigorous measures" during visit
Photo: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA
The dispute over the autonomy of the Pacific island of Taiwan has long weighed on Chinese-American relations.
Off the coast of the island, the armed forces of the two great powers come dangerously close again and again.
Now the diplomatic conflict could escalate further with an apparently planned visit by US Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
As the Financial Times reported, citing several insiders, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is planning a visit to Taipei in August.
The visit is part of a trip by a US delegation that is also scheduled to visit Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.
According to Reuters, the trip has not been officially confirmed by the US State Department or Taiwan.
A visit was originally planned for April, but had to be canceled due to Pelosi's corona infection.
China sees "territorial unity" threatened
The visit would seriously jeopardize China's sovereignty and "territorial unity," Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, said on Tuesday.
China will respond to the visit and take "energetic measures" to protect its own sovereign rights.
The government in Beijing claims the democratically governed island for itself and wants to bring it under Chinese control.
The United States, under President Biden, has repeatedly pledged "rock-solid" support to Taiwan.
In the past, China has repeatedly underlined its claim with maneuvers near the island.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, concerns arose in the West that China might do something similar to Taiwan.
The United States had recently expanded its military support for Taiwan - and delivered more weapons worth 120 million dollars.
Beijing sharply criticized the move.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they "resolutely reject and strongly condemn" the delivery of arms that has now been decided.
fek/Reuters
