Pelosi's Taiwan visit manic, irrational: China Foreign Minister

Beijing, Aug 04: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan a "manic, irresponsible and highly irrational" action by the United States, said China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.

Speaking at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wang said China has made the utmost diplomatic effort to avert crisis, but will never allow its core interests to be hurt.

China's current and future measures are necessary and timely defensive countermeasures, carefully considered and evaluated, aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and security, in line with international and domestic law, CCTV cited Wang as saying.

China has summoned the American envoy here to lodge a stern protest over Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's high-profile visit to Taipei, warning that Washington will "pay a price" for its "mistakes" and asked it to stop using the Taiwan issue to contain China in any form.

Bristling with anger over Pelosi's visit to Taipei, China also carried out live-fire missile drills in Taiwan Straits besides flying a number of Chinese fighter jets near Taiwanese airspace.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that will one day unite with it. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to reunify the self-ruled island with the mainland.