BEIJING 23 (Reuters) – China has issued stark private warnings to the Biden administration about a possible trip to Taiwan in August by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Financial Times reported.
The report cited six people familiar with the Chinese warnings as saying they were significantly stronger than the threats that Beijing has made in the past when it was unhappy with U.S. actions or policy on Taiwan, which is claimed by China.
The private rhetoric suggested a possible military response, the Financial Times cited several people familiar with the situation as saying.
The White House National Security Council and the State Department declined to comment on the report. China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Sunday.
The Financial Times reported on Monday that Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan in August.
China’s foreign ministry said the next day a visit to Taiwan by her would seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States would bear the consequences of its response.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he plans to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping by the end of the month. Biden appeared to cast doubt on the reported Pelosi trip to Taiwan.
“I think that the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now, but I don’t know what the status of it is,” Biden told reporters.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing over the issue of Taiwan have intensified in recent months. China has long claimed the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to “reunify” with the land of 24 million people.
The U.S. has committed to supplying Taiwan with all sorts of armaments, though recent weapons sales to Taipei have been slow to arrive, raising concerns among those U.S. lawmakers particularly hostile against China’s growing influence in the region.