The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday rebutted allegations by United States and European Union officials that China is engaged in "economic coercion."
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and European External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino warned of China's "ongoing economic coercion of international economies" at the fourth high-level meeting of the U.S.-EU Dialogue on China in Washington, D.C..
In response to the accusation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at Monday's regular press conference that the Chinese side firmly opposed interference by the U.S. and the EU in China's internal affairs as well as the denigration of China.
Mao stressed that China had always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.
When it comes to economic coercion, the spokesperson said, the U.S. overtly coerces other countries not to use the equipment of Chinese companies, introducing the CHIPS and Science Act to unite with its allies in economic bullying against China and enforcing the decoupling and disrupting of industrial and supply chains. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act has compelled European companies to transfer their production lines to the U.S., she added.
"This is real economic coercion," Mao said.
Cooperation between the U.S. and EU should not target any third party, nor should China be made an issue in this, she warned, adding that as two vital forces in the international arena, the U.S. and the EU should take their responsibility to contribute to world stability and prosperity.
