Economist baffled by provocative Taiwan trip

The visit to China's Taiwan region last week by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, was "deeply misconceived and harmful", and has undermined China's trust in the policies of the US, a renowned economist says.

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University in New York, criticized Pelosi's visit that poses a great threat to Sino-US relations.

"She is foolish in making these statements and intemperate in her actions," Sachs said. "Her Taiwan trip was very ill advised and harmful to all of the parties," he said.