'China Opposes All Official US-Taiwan Exchange'

Beijing on Tuesday said a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At a media briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to a question about a news report, which said Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan in August, by saying such a trip would seriously violate the one-China principle, according to the Global Times.

Zhao said China firmly opposes any official exchange between the United States and the island, and will take "resolute and strong measures" to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Global Times reported. He added that the United States would bear the consequences of China's response.

According to the Financial Times report, there were divisions in the US administration over whether Pelosi should visit Taiwan. Pelosi and her delegation will also visit Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, and spend time in Hawaii at the headquarters of US Indo-Pacific command.

The Democratic leader's visit to Taiwan had been postponed from April, after she tested positive for Covid-19. At the time, China said such a visit would severely affect Sino-US relations. (Additional reporting by Reuters)