China lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for reportedly planning a landmark trip to Taiwan that’s been delayed because she has COVID-19, setting up a showdown when her visit to Asia is rescheduled.
“If the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives knowingly commits a sneaky visit to Taiwan, it will be a malicious provocation to China’s sovereignty, gross interference in its internal affairs and an extremely dangerous political signal to the outside world,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said of a reported trip by Pelosi to Taipei, which would be the first by someone in her post in 25 years.
Speaking in a phone call late Thursday with Emmanuel Bonne, an adviser to the French president, Wang added that Beijing would respond “resolutely” in a way that would ensure Washington bears the consequences, without giving details.
