Beijing warns Washington not to "pay the price" if Pelosi visits Taiwan
China warned the United States on Tuesday that it would "pay the price" if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington.
"The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price if China's sovereign security interests are affected," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and declares that it wants to recover it by force if necessary.
She warned Washington more than once against Pelosi's visit to the island, which she said she would consider a provocation.
On Tuesday, Pelosi arrived in Malaysia, on the second leg of her Asian tour, which raises the level of tension between Washington and Beijing, against the background of an unconfirmed but increasingly likely visit to Taiwan.
Nancy Pelosi landed Tuesday morning at the Malaysian air base before meeting the prime minister and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, according to the national news agency Bernama.
AFP reporters saw Pelosi get out of a hotel in the Malaysian capital and get into a four-wheel drive vehicle before setting off in a heavily-protected motorcade.
After Singapore and Malaysia, Pelosi will stop in South Korea and Japan.
It is still a mystery surrounding the possibility of her visit to Taiwan.
"We had a wide range of discussions about ways to achieve our common goals and ensure security in the Indo-Atlantic region," Pelosi said in a statement.
Several Taiwanese media reported comments by Tsai Chi-chang, the island's deputy speaker of parliament, that "It is very likely that Pelosi will pay a visit in the coming days."
Several articles in international newspapers indicated that the visit had already been planned, and the "Financial Times" reported on a meeting between Pelosi and Taiwan's president on Wednesday.
Taiwan's "Liberty Times" newspaper, citing unidentified sources, said Pelosi will land on the island on Tuesday evening and meet with President Tsai Ing-wen the next day before leaving in the afternoon.
The White House appears somewhat uneasy about the visit, but spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Pelosi "has the right to visit Taiwan."
He added, "There is no reason for Beijing to aggravate this visit, which does not violate the American doctrine dating back to a long time."
Most analysts consider the risk of armed conflict small, but US officials revealed that they are preparing for a possible display of the strength of the Chinese army based, for example, on the launch of missiles in the Taiwan Strait or large-scale air violations in the vicinity of the island.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that it was "determined" to protect the island from threats from China.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives is traveling in a military plane.
It is true that Washington rules out that Pelosi will be directly targeted, but the risk of a "miscalculation" remains.
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