ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan on Saturday summoned the US ambassador to seek an explanation for US President Joe Biden's description of the South Asian country as "one of the most dangerous countries in the world" and his questioning of nuclear safety protocols.

Biden made his seemingly unprepared comment Thursday night while speaking about US foreign policy during a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California. But the White House later published the transcript of his remarks, which sparked outrage in Pakistan.

Relations between Washington and Pakistan have been strained since last year, when the United States ended the two-decade war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan provided important logistical support in the war, but US officials believe Islamabad's powerful military and intelligence apparatus also helped the Taliban, who returned to power with the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

And Biden was talking about his usual contacts with Chinese President Xi Jinping, when he said, "Did anyone expect that we would be in a situation in which China is trying to define its role in relation to Russia, in relation to India and in relation to Pakistan?"

"This is a guy who understands what he wants but he has a huge set of problems. How do we deal with that? How do we deal with that in relation to what's happening in Russia?"

"And what I think is probably the most dangerous country in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons, but without any coherence."
Hours after publishing the text of his speech, US Ambassador Donald Bloom was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

He said Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a press conference in Karachi, "I discussed the matter with the prime minister and summoned the US ambassador ... to take formal action."

"I was taken aback by President Biden's remarks. I think that's exactly the kind of misunderstanding that arises when there is a lack of communication," he added.

It seemed that Zardari allows Washington some space to interpret the statement, as he said, "The ceremony was not official, it was not a speech to the nation or a speech before Parliament."

He continued, "We have to give them an opportunity to explain this situation. I do not think that this should negatively affect relations between Pakistan and the United States."

The United States is wary of Pakistan's close partnership with China as Beijing pushes ahead with a $54 billion "economic corridor" project to build infrastructure that would give Beijing access to the Indian Ocean.

Washington has long stressed that China will be the biggest beneficiary of the project and will leave Pakistan mired in debt that it will not be able to bear.

Pakistan has ignored warnings from the United States, which considers China its number one global rival.