China's government spokesman has warned the US of "consequences" if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi follows through on an alleged plan to visit the disputed island of Taiwan.

According to foreign media, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned Pelosi on Tuesday against going ahead with a possible visit to Taiwan in response to a report from the Financial Times that claimed the California Democrat was planning to visit the island. in August.

Pelosi would be the most senior US official to visit the territory since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich staged a three-day stop in 1997.

"We firmly oppose any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region," Zhao was quoted as saying during his daily press conference on Tuesday.

"If Pelosi visits Taiwan, it would seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-US joint communiqués and harm China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Although the current Chinese government has never governed Taiwan, it claims sovereignty over the island, which it considers part of its territory under its "one China" principle.

Tensions between the US and China over Taiwan have risen since President Joe Biden took office, as the islanders have expressed growing concerns about their status following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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