Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan raises concerns China might interfere with airspace, US official says

China could also respond by flying fighter jets further into Taiwan’s self-declared air defense zone, which could trigger a response from Taiwan and the US, the official added. They did not detail what a possible response would entail.China has Tensions between Washington and Beijing over the issue of Taiwan have heightened in recent months. The Chinese Communist Party has long claimed democratically ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to “reunify” with the island of 24 million people — by force if necessary — despite having never governed it. The US has committed to providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself, though recent weapons sales to Taiwan have been slow to arrive, which has raised concerns among US lawmakers.The Chinese embassy in Washington referred CNN to the remarks from the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating firm opposition to a possible Pelosi visit when asked to comment on the airspace concerns.The Financial Times wasState Department officials also have some concerns, two sources said. State Department spokesperson Ned Price deflected questions about the trip on Thursday, calling it a “hypothetical” at this time.”I am not going to be offering any advice from the is podium,” Price said when asked about the State Department position on her possible visit.Price reiterated that the Biden administration is still adhering to its one China policy, noting that the US does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but has a “robust unofficial” relationship with the island.Voicing opposition to the possible Pelosi visit, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, said Tuesday that 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.”The spokesperson for Taiwan’s official office in DC, Sabina Chang, told CNN that Taiwan has “not received any information about a planned visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Chinese planes have entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone but have not violated international law.CNN’s Barbara Starr contributed to this report.