China warned on Tuesday that the United States would bear “responsibility” for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and that it would have to “pay the price”.

“The United States will definitely bear responsibility (for the consequences) and will have to pay the price for attacking China’s sovereignty and security,” Chinese diplomatic spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, according to AFP.

Beijing considers the island part of its territory and should be united, if necessary by force, and Washington has repeatedly warned that a visit by a high-ranking official would be seen as a serious provocation.

Pelosi was in Malaysia on Tuesday, where she met with the prime minister and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, on the second leg of a trip to Asia that has fueled speculation for days about a potential visit to Taipei.

After Singapore and Malaysia, his itinerary includes stops in South Korea and Japan. Tensions are deliberately maintained around a possible visit to Taiwan.

In her statement, Pelosi simply said, “We are engaged in a wide range of discussions about how to achieve our shared goals and protect the Indo-Pacific region.”

Several Taiwanese media quoted the island’s deputy speaker of parliament, Tsai Chi Chang, as saying it was “very likely” that Pelosi would arrive in Taiwan in the coming days.

Taiwan’s Liberty Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that Pelosi would land on the island on Tuesday evening.

If the White House is confused by the situation, John Kirby, his press secretary, said Monday that Nancy Pelosi has “the right to visit Taiwan.”

“There is no reason for Beijing to turn this visit into a crisis,” he added.

While most observers see the likelihood of armed conflict as low, US officials have said they are preparing for a possible show of force by the Chinese military, such as missile strikes in the Taiwan Strait or massive airstrikes around the island.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it was “determined” to defend the island from threats from China.

The Speaker of the House is on a military plane, and although Washington is not afraid of a direct attack, the risk of “miscalculation” is very present.

The United States practices so-called “strategic ambiguity” diplomacy toward Taiwan, which consists of recognizing only one Chinese government, that of Beijing, while continuing to provide decisive support to Taipei. At the same time, Washington refused to say whether the United States would defend the island in the event of an invasion.