US Warns Of China's 'Intent To Reshape' Int'l Order, Beijing Alleges 'Smearing' In Bid To Maintain 'Hegemony'

As Blinken warned of China's "intent to reshape the international order", Beijing said that the US Secretary of State was spreading "false information", smearing China's domestic and foreign policies.

New Delhi: China's Foreign Ministry on Friday accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of "smearing" the nation after Blinken delivered a speech urging action to counterbalance Beijing's influence. This comes as China has faced warnings from the United States and its Western allies in recent days over its growing influence and particularly its global ambitions. Blinken warned of China's "intent to reshape the international order" while calling for a defence of the global order.

Addressing a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's speech "spreads false information, exaggerates the China threat, interferes in China's internal affairs, and smears China's domestic and foreign policies", news agency AFP reported.

He stressed that China "firmly opposed" Blinken's speech, saying it showed Washington sought to "contain and suppress China's development and maintain US hegemony and power".

Blinken Raises Alarm Over China's Territorial Ambitions

Earlier on Thursday, The US State Secretary targeted Beijing for raising tensions over Taiwan - a self-ruled island China claims as part of its territory. He said that Beijing has "cut off Taiwan's relations with countries around the world and blocking it from participating in international organisations."

"Even as (Russia) President Putin’s war continues, we'll remain focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order – and that’s posed by the People’s Republic of China," Antony Blinken said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

According to him, 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." "Beijing’s vision would move us away from universal values that have sustained so much of the world’s progress over the past 75 years," he said.

The US State Secretary mentioned that China is also integral to the global economy and to the world's ability to solve challenges from climate to COVID.  "Put simply, the United States and China have to deal with each other for the foreseeable future," he added.

Notably, Blinken went on to clarify that US does not look for conflict or a new Cold War. "To the contrary, we’re determined to avoid both. We don’t seek to block China from its role as a major power, nor to stop China – or any other country, for that matter – from growing their economy," he emphasised.

(With Inputs From Agencies)