US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has the right to visit Taiwan, and has visited in the past prior to assuming the position, the White House said on Monday, adding that China appeared prepared to respond in the coming days, possibly with military provocations.
Pelosi was set to visit Taiwan on Tuesday, three people briefed on the matter said, as China warned that its military would never "sit idly by" if she visited the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a briefing that nothing about Pelosi's possible trip changed US policy toward Taiwan.