China urges US to cancel House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan

The Chinese embassy in the United States on Thursday reiterated Beijing's opposition to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned visit to Taiwan.

In a statement issued by the embassy, a Chinese spokesperson urged Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan.

"In the past few days, Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang and the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. have lodged stern representations with the U.S. Congress and government on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reported visit to Taiwan, and stated China's solemn position, urging the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, and to cancel Speaker Pelosi's plan to visit Taiwan," said an embassy spokesperson.

These remarks were issued in response to media queries on the postponement of Pelosi's upcoming trip to Asia - during which she was supposed to visit Taiwan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Pelosi was scheduled to arrive in Taiwan on Sunday, in a show of support for Taipei amid concerns over cross-strait relations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US House Speaker, who was scheduled to visit Taiwan, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Pelosi, according to media reports, will now not travel.

"After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic," Pelosi's Spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided. The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly," the statement added.