US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: IC

"Coercion" is a label best suited to the US instead of China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent remarks, accusing China of using coercion as statecraft. 

The label of "coercion" cannot be pinned on China. Instead, it is suited to the US. The US does not need to be modest on this issue, Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a routine press conference on Wednesday. 

Hua said that China is a responsible big country which has never been arrogant, quit international groups against rules or bullied others. 

Hua's remarks came after Pompeo's Tuesday's speech, in which he said that Beijing "is a strategic competitor at best that uses coercion and corruption as its tools of statecraft." 

Hua said we must clarify the facts and show our position on actions of malicious defamation and smears of other countries.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has adhered to strict governance of the CPC and intensified the anti-graft campaign since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 which achieved positive results and has won the support of the Chinese people and extensive praise from the international community. 

However, the Americans generally believe that "money politics" is involved in the US elections, where money is used in exchange for votes, and members of Congress are used by enterprises, the rich and special interest groups, according to Western media reports. 

Hua urged the US to focus on solving its own problems instead of blaming others. 

Smearing others everywhere only destroys its own credibility and becomes a laughingstock, Hua said.  

Global Times