Pelosi announces rescheduled Taiwan to be in August, China says trip will 'gravely impact' relations

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she's rescheduled her visit to Taiwan for August, resulting in a quick and sharp response from China about possible retaliation and how such a trip would "gravely impact" the foundation of U.S.-China relations.

The California Democrat's rescheduled trip was first reported Monday by the Financial Times.

Pelosi was originally due in visit Taiwan in April but was forced to reschedule after testing positive for COVID-19. No U.S. House speaker has visited Taiwan since Newt Gingrich in 1997.

A U.S. congressional delegation in March visited Taipei to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, reigniting tension between the United States and China. 

China claims that Taiwan, which is self governing, is a part of China. Its One China policy insists that countries must not recognize Taiwanese independence if they wish to maintain diplomatic relations with the mainland. 

Pelosi’s visit would “severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijiang. 

The U.S. continues to sell weapons to Taiwan for its defense, and President Biden said in April that the United States would intervene if China attempted to forcefully annex the island nation. 

"If the U.S. were to insist on going down the wrong path, China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zhao also said.