A top Chinese official is warning of “serious consequences” if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the island nation of Taiwan, which China has long insisted is not an independent state but rather part of China. “The US will be responsible for all serious consequences,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told Sky News about the possible visit. reported on Wednesday. Lijian added that there would be “firm and decisive action” in response to Pelosi’s trip. Pelosi had planned to visit Taiwan in April, which would have made her the highest-ranking US official to visit the island since 1997, but was forced to cancel the trip after testing positive for the coronavirus. TAIWAN Conducts Airstrike Drills As China Doubles Down Against NANCY PELOSI VISIT House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a press conference, Thursday, May 19, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Pelosi has not officially rescheduled the trip, but rumors swirled that she still plans to go after she said last week that it was “important for us to show support for Taiwan.” “We do not confirm or deny international travel in advance due to longstanding security protocols,” a Pelosi spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning. CANCELING PELOSI’S TAIWAN VISIT WOULD CREATE A “MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY CRISIS,” SAID SEN. IT SAYS COTTON US officials say they have no fear that China will attack Nancy Pelosi’s plane if it flies to Taiwan. But Pelosi would be walking into one of the world’s hottest spots, where a mishap, mistake or misunderstanding could jeopardize her safety. So the Pentagon develops contingency plans. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a commendation ceremony for standards of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics at the Great Hall of the People on April 8 (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Chinese officials told The Associated Press that if Pelosi goes to Taiwan, the military will increase troop and resource movements in the Indo-Pacific region. They declined to give details, but said fighter jets, ships, surveillance assets and other military systems would likely be used to provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan and any time on the ground there. DAN HOFFMAN PELOSI SHOULD GO TO TAIWAN, BE ‘STRONG’ IN COMMITTING US Asked about planned military measures to protect Pelosi in the event of a visit, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Army Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that it was premature to discuss any specific trip. But, he added, “if a decision is made that President Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they have requested military support, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that their visit is conducted safely. And I’ll leave it at that.” China considers self-ruled Taiwan its own territory and has raised the prospect of annexing it by force. The US maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan, even though it recognizes Beijing as the government of China. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP US President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual summit from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, November 15, 2021. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) President Biden, who is set to speak by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping within the next 10 days, told reporters last week that the US military believes the trip is “not a good idea.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The Associated Press contributed to this report Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips at [email protected]
