BEIJING - China urges the United States (US) to stop overstretching the concept of security, and to cease slandering and disrupting China's economic and trade cooperation with other countries, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

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Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks when asked to comment on allegations from US officials and analysts, who have said that Chinese companies have built a network of ports around the world in order to exercise control over global commerce, conduct so-called espionage and take other moves.

"We hope the US side will stop overstretching the concept of security, cease its peddling of the so-called China threat, and stop slandering and disrupting China's economic and trade cooperation with other countries," Lin stressed.