The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday hit out against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for “smearing the country” after he called for action to counterbalance Beijing’s growing global influence.
The day before, Blinken had issued a 45-minute-long address raising concerns over China’s “intent to reshape the international order” in what some have called the most comprehensive statement to date on China by US President Joe Biden’s administration.
“China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order – and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it,” said Blinken.
“Beijing’s vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world’s progress over the past 75 years,” he added, calling on the international community to defend the status quo and approach relations with Beijing “with more realism.”
He also accused Beijing of raising tensions over Taiwan, blaming China for “cutting off Taiwan’s relations with countries around the world and blocking it from participating in international organizations.”
Blinken’s speech “spreads false information, exaggerates the China threat, interferes in China’s internal affairs, and smears China’s domestic and foreign policies,” Chinese ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference.
Wang added that China “firmly opposed” Blinken’s address and that it demonstrated Washington’s desire to “contain and suppress China’s development and maintain US hegemony and power.”