BRUSSELS/BEIJING - China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to interferences in its internal affairs by the United States and the European Union (EU) in their joint statement after the summit in Brussels, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing on Wednesday.

"The content of the statement went far beyond the scope of their bilateral relations, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, wantonly slandered and accused China, and created and spread disinformation," spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily press briefing.

The United States and the European Union should reflect on their own serious issues. They are in no position to lecture on other countries.

Zhao Lijian, Spokesperson, Chinese foreign ministry

"The United States and the European Union should reflect on their own serious issues. They are in no position to lecture on other countries," said Zhao.

China opposes any country imposing its own interests and demands on other countries, forming small cliques and pursuing bloc politics targeting a third party, and dividing the world with ideology, said Zhao.

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"The United States and the EU should follow the trend of the times: peace, development and win-win cooperation. They should abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, practice true multilateralism, and make due contributions to the international community's efforts to unite against the pandemic and handle global challenges," he said. 

On Tuesday, the Chinese Mission to the European Union expressed opposition to the US-EU joint statement, dismissing it as having gone "far beyond" the norm of developing bilateral relations.

The statement referred to China's Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the East and South China Seas, and accused China of "economic coercion" and "spreading disinformation."

The East and South China Seas concern China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests

"The EU-US Summit Statement has gone far beyond the norm of developing bilateral relations," said a spokesperson for the Chinese mission. "It is filled with outdated Cold War mentality and bloc politics rhetoric. Such attempt to form small circles pitted against one another runs counter to the trend of history and does no good to regional and global peace and stability."

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The spokesperson expressed strong discontent with and firm opposition to the references to China in the statement. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet-related issues are China's internal affairs. The East and South China Seas concern China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. All these issues represent China's fundamental interests and allow no interference, said the spokesperson.

"As for who is imposing unilateral sanctions based on lies and disinformation and who is pressurizing and coercing others to keep its hegemony, the international community sees very clearly and fair-minded people can tell right from wrong," said the spokesperson.

"China is no longer like what it was in the past. The Chinese people have stood up. Intimidation will never work on us. We will stay on the course of peaceful development and at the same time, firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests," added the spokesperson. 

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