Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian addresses a press conference in Beijing, China. (PHOTO / FMPRC.GOV.CN)

BEIJING - The National Endowment for Democracy, which takes orders directly from the US government and manipulates NGOs through the provision of funding to conduct subversion, infiltration and sabotage to serve US strategic interests, is actually the "second CIA" of the United States, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the United States has long used democracy as a tool and a weapon to undermine democracy in the name of democracy, to incite division and confrontation, and to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, causing catastrophic consequences

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked about the Fact Sheet on the National Endowment for Democracy released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

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The fact sheet, with about 12,000 words in six sections, lays bare the true face of NED through hundreds of specific incidents gathered from public reports, Zhao said.

He said the United States has long used democracy as a tool and a weapon to undermine democracy in the name of democracy, to incite division and confrontation, and to meddle in other countries' internal affairs, causing catastrophic consequences.

"NED, as one of the US government's main 'foot soldiers' and 'white gloves', has subverted lawful governments and cultivated pro-US puppet forces under the pretext of democracy," Zhao said.

NED was seen behind color revolutions instigated and orchestrated by the United States, including the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Rose Revolution in Georgia, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Arab Spring, Zhao said, adding that NED has been stirring up protests and demonstrations in Thailand, inciting the opposition parties in Nicaragua to seize power by force, funding anti-Cuba forces to manipulate public sentiment against the government, and long interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs through various means.

"Hellbent on disrupting the world, NED has not brought social stability and development or contented lives and good work to other countries. On the contrary, it has caused a host of issues including withered livelihood, languishing economy and social confrontation," Zhao said.

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NED also extends its evil hand to China and invests heavily in anti-China programs every year to incite "Xinjiang independence," "Hong Kong independence," and "Tibet independence" activities by various means, said the spokesperson.

"It also colludes with 'Taiwan independence' forces and attempts to incite division and disrupt stability across the Taiwan Straits, which has been met with indignation and opposition from the Chinese people on both sides of the Strait," Zhao said.

Noting NED is actually the "second CIA" of the United States, Zhao said it is by no means an NGO that provides support for democracy abroad.

"We believe the international community will see its true face more and more clearly, and more countries will expose its ugly track record in various forms," said the spokesperson.

Noting peace and development remains the theme of our times, Zhao said those that meddle in other countries' domestic affairs are doomed to fail no matter what disguise they use.