WASHINGTON, August 2. /TASS/. The US will "retaliate massively" if China responds militarily to Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan, US politician Newt Gingrich said in an interview with Fox News.

"The worst case - if they shot down her airplane, that would be literally an act of war. And we would have no choice except to retaliate massively," said Gingrich who in 1997 visited the island when he served as Speaker of the US House of Representatives during the Clinton administration. Prior to this, the politician who in the US was a vocal critic of China, visited Beijing where he noted China’s economic success and even vowed that the US Congress would assist in the peaceful reunification of Taiwan and mainland China. However, later in Taipei he promised to facilitate the deliveries of modern US armaments to Taiwan which irritated Beijing. China’s Foreign Ministry then said that Washington was meddling in Beijing’s domestic affairs and expressed hope that the US who recognized the "one China" principle would "support its words with actions."

On Sunday, a delegation led by Pelosi left for Asia in order to visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. A visit to Taiwan is not mentioned in a statement on Pelosi’s official site. However, a number of news outlets insist that Pelosi may still visit the island. This trip may become the first visit of a Speaker of the US House of Representatives to Taiwan in the last 25 years. Beijing repeatedly cautioned Washington that if Pelosi visited the island, this would have repercussions and China would take severe measures.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Since then, Taiwan has preserved the flag and some other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed in mainland China before the Communists came to power. Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces and this position is supported by most countries, including Russia.