Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said the United States was the “biggest destroyer” of peace across the Taiwan Strait in response to the visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei, stressing that the one-China principle is the key stabilising force for peace and stability in the region.

Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday evening and held a meeting with Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday morning before flying out in the afternoon.

Describing the visit as ‘brazen’, Wang said Pelosi’s trip “seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.”

He also dismissed the idea that the US government was unable to stop Pelosi from going ahead with her visit.

“The US side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers,” he said. “But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.”

Wang’s statement came after the Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns late on Tuesday night to lodge a strong protest over the Pelosi trip.

Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng warned that Washington "shall pay the price".

"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious," Xie said. "China will not sit idly by."

The military has said it was on "high alert" and would launch a series of targeted military actions in response to the visit.

Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the exercises are a "necessary and just measure to resolutely protect national sovereignty".

"In the current struggle surrounding Pelosi's Taiwan visit, the United States are the provocateurs, China is the victim. The joint provocation by the US and Taiwan came first, China's just defense came after," she added.

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Last updated: 2022-08-03 HKT 17:48