China on Friday sanctioned US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her visit earlier this week to Taiwan, according to news agency AFP.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said Friday that Pelosi had disregarded China's concerns and resolute opposition to her visit to the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims.
The US House Speaker today said that the United States will "not allow" China to isolate Taiwan, after her visit to the self-ruled island infuriated Beijing.
Pelosi was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the self-governing island in 25 years. China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes it having its own engagements with foreign governments.
The Chinese statement called Pelosi's visit provocative and said it undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It said that sanctions would be imposed on Pelosi and her immediate family but did not say what they would be. Such sanctions are generally mostly symbolic in nature.
