China demands 'immediate cancellation' of Pelosi's Taiwan visit plan

China warned on Thursday that it would take firm and robust measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity should U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insist on visiting Taiwan.

Urging the U.S. side to stick to the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan must be cancelled immediately.

Otherwise, the U.S. side shall bear all ensuing consequences, Zhao said during a news briefing. He added that China has made solemn representations to the U.S. side.

He said that China is against any form of official exchange between the United States and Taiwan, adding that as an integral part of the U.S. government, the U.S. Congress should strictly abide by the one-China policy that the United States upholds.

Zhao stressed that Pelosi's move, if materialized, would gravely violate the one-China principle and stipulations of the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, massively impact on the political base of the China-U.S. relations, and send the very wrong signal of supporting the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

The United States should immediately cancel Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan, stop official exchanges with Taiwan, and honor its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" with concrete actions, said the spokesperson.

When answering a query regarding some U.S. officials' remarks linking the Taiwan question with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Zhao pointed out that these are "fundamentally different" issues.

Anyone who attempts to confuse the public for own interests is playing with fire, he said.

Noting that there is only one China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, Zhao said that the Taiwan question was a carry-over from the Chinese civil war, and how to resolve it is China's internal affair and no foreign country has the right to interfere.

The Chinese people are determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will strive for peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity, but reserve the option to take any necessary measures against the interference of external forces and the "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities, according to Zhao.

The root cause of the latest round of tensions across the Taiwan Strait stems from the Taiwan authorities seeking independence by soliciting U.S. support, and the attempts by some U.S. personnel using Taiwan to contain China, said the spokesperson.