China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Beijing will impose sanctions on Pelosi and her close relatives in connection with her recent visit to Taiwan, a move that China has condemned as a provocation. Pelosi dealt a serious blow to the One-China principle, jeopardizing peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the Foreign Ministry said.
"Who cares," Pelosi said during a press briefing.
Moreover, Pelosi added that the support of the US military helped to minimize the effect China had on the visit of the US congressional delegation to Taiwan. She stressed that the whole delegation is "very proud of our military, who minimized China's influence on our trip and looked after us."
The speaker also noted that the Pentagon did not suggest that the delegation cancel the trip to Taiwan.
Pelosi led a delegation of US lawmakers that visited Taiwan on August 2-3 as part of a trip to the Indo-Pacific region. The lawmakers’ stop in Taiwan was met with strong condemnation by Beijing, which considers the move a violation of China's national and territorial sovereignty.
As part of its policy, Beijing has consistently opposed any contact between representatives of Taipei and incumbent officials, especially high-ranking ones, or the military from countries with which Beijing has diplomatic relations.
China has already stated that it will take strong measures to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to Zhang Jun, an envoy of China to the UN, "Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory," and the issue of territorial integrity is a "red line."
The Biden administration defended the trip, arguing that it did not stray from historic norms in relations between the United States, China and Taiwan.