US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan in August

Washington: US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly expected to visit Taiwan next month.

Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan in August, the Financial Times reported, citing six people familiar with the matter.

This comes at a time when Taiwan faces pressure from China as the latter considers democratically ruled Taiwan its own territory.

Pelosi, 82, cancelled a visit in April after she caught COVID-19. She would be the most senior US lawmaker to visit Taiwan since one of her predecessors as Speaker, Republican Newt Gingrich, travelled there in 1997, the report said.

Meanwhile, China's government warned on Tuesday it would take "forceful measures" if Pelosi visited Taiwan, Reuters reported.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said any visit by Pelosi would "seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

"If the U.S. side obstinately clings to this course, China will definitely take resolute and forceful measures to firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "The United States must be fully responsible for all the consequences caused by this."

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it has "not received relevant information" about any visit.

(With inputs from agencies)

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