China issued Monday a stronger warning to US authorities against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned trip to Taiwan.
The warnings stated by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman confirmed a report published by the Financial Times on Saturday, which identified six persons with knowledge of the warnings. They stated that they were much more forceful than previous threats issued by Beijing in response to US actions or policies over China's claim to Taiwan.
Both the State Department and the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the FT report, according to Reuters.
In a media briefing on Monday, Beijing spokesman Zhao Lijian commented on the report, saying that China is "seriously prepared."When asked to clarify what kind of response China was "seriously prepared" to carry on,
Zhao stated that "China will take strong measures to resolutely respond and counteract" if the US pursues to do "its own way."
Biden Says Pelosi's Taiwan Trip Is Not Good for Now
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden told reporters the US military thinks a Taiwan visit by Pelosi is "not a good idea right now." On Thursday, Nancy Pelosi said it's important to show support for Taiwan but declined to discuss any travel plans citing security. Pelosi admitted that she did not know exactly what Biden was pointing out. She said it "is that maybe the military was afraid of my plane getting shot down or something like that."
Mike Pompeo, a former US secretary of state, offered to accompany Pelosi on her planned trip.
"Nancy, I'll go with you. I'm banned in China, but not in freedom-loving Taiwan. See you there!" Pompeo tweeted.
According to a US official who spoke to CNN, Biden administration officials have discreetly raised fears that China would try to sabotage the potential trip by declaring a no-fly zone over Taiwan.
Is China Set To Attack Taiwan?
Although the Chinese government has not publicly specified what aggressive actions it intends to take, some Chinese experts believe Beijing's response may include a military aspect. Per CNN, Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at China's Renmin University, believes that Beijing's response will be unprecedented countermeasures -- the strongest it has ever taken since the Taiwan Strait crises."
Several individuals involved in Taiwan's national security policy claimed that the island nation was caught between the danger that China would "punish" Taipei for Speaker Pelosi's upcoming visit in August and the danger that Washington would postpone the trip, essentially giving China a role in US-Taiwan policy.
According to three sources in Taipei with knowledge of the issue, China could become more assertive through its public opposition to the trip.
A senior official stated, If the visit gets canceled, then implies "China's intimidation tactics" are effective. Thus, other parties will be hesitant to interact with Taiwan, which will have a chilling effect.
Beijing has increased its military presence in the areas near Taiwan to exert pressure on the democratically elected administration to recognize Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan's government asserts that only the 23 million residents of the island can decide its future and, despite its desire for peace, it will protect itself if attacked by China.
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