As of this writing, the word is that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will definitely show up in Taiwan this week as part of her tour of the “Indo-Pacific region.” Several media, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, CNBC and others cite anonymous officials, or “people familiar with the matter,” confirming that she will stop off in Taipei and meet with government officials, although as one official cited by the Journal put it, her schedule remains “in flux.” There is an issue as to whether she will spend the night or stop off at the end of her tour which is also taking her to Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan. She is accompanied by five other Members of Congress.
At today’s Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing, spokesman Zhao Lijian again warned that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan “would lead to serious consequences.” Repeating Xi Jinping’s warning to Joe Biden on July 29 that “those who play with fire will perish by it,” Zhao said that a Pelosi visit would “wantonly trample on the one-China principle, greatly threaten peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, severely undermine China-U.S. relations and lead to a very serious situation and grave consequences.” The Chinese side “is fully prepared for any eventuality,” he said, and that “the People’s Liberation Army of China will never sit idly by.” (https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/202208/t20220801_10731629.html)
