US will ‘pay the price’ if Pelosi visits Taiwan, warns China

China on Tuesday issued a fresh warning to the US against House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visit Taiwan –  the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing – with foreign ministry saying that its military will never “sit idly by”.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated earlier warnings on Monday, saying “there will be serious consequences if she insists on making the visit”. He did not spell out any specific consequences, according to Al Jazeera. Several Taiwan media outlets reported late on Monday, citing unnamed sources, that Pelosi would visit Taiwan on Tuesday and spend the night in Taipei, reported the news outlet.

“We are fully prepared for any eventuality,” he said. “The People’s Liberation Army [PLA] will never sit by idly. China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

PLA ships have been stationed close to the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which separates China and Taiwan, since Monday, and several military jets flew close to the line on Tuesday morning, Reuters news agency reported citing unnamed sources. Taiwan had dispatched aircraft to monitor the situation, added the foreign ministry.

China considers Taiwan its territory and has indicated through repeated warnings that it would view a Pelosi visit as a major provocation.

The US retorted back to the communist nation for “overreacting to the trip”, saying she would have every right to the visit. According to reports, American officials often make discreet visits to Taiwan to show support, but Pelosi would be a higher-profile visitor than any in recent history.

Earlier, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, had also warned his American counterpart, Joe Biden, not to ‘play with fire’. Biden reportedly told Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed and Washington strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The heightening tensions between the two powerful nations is likely to impact severely to the world already grappling with the war in Ukraine. Any conflict would engulf the South China Sea and Malacca Straits through which more than half of India’s trade passes, according to an editorial in The Telegraph. Further, as a member of the QUAD, India would get sucked into the campaign against Beijing.

– INDIA NEWS STREAM

(With agencies inputs)