MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Moscow views US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan as a clear provocation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on August 2. We view her visit as a clear provocation, which is in line with the United States’ aggressive policy aimed at comprehensively containing China," the statement reads.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are China’s domestic affair and Beijing has the right to take measures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to the Taiwan issue. "Russia’s principled position remains unchanged. We believe that there is only one China, the Chinese government is the only legitimate government that represents all of China, and Taiwan is an integral part of China," the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also called on Washington to refrain from actions undermining regional stability and international security, and accept the new geopolitical reality where there is no room for US hegemony. The ministry pointed out that Moscow had reiterated its commitment to the One China principle in a joint statement on international relations adopted following talks between the Russian and Chinese leaders on February 4, 2022.

Pelosi’s visit is the first trip to Taiwan by such a high-ranking US politician in the past 25 years. Beijing earlier warned Washington of consequences if the visit took place.