Label of 'diplomacy of coercion' more suitable for US, not China: spokesperson

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Monday that the label of "diplomacy of coercion" is more suitable for the Unite States, not China.

The international community know too well who is wielding the sticks of sanctions, pursing long-arm jurisdiction and coercing other countries. "China doesn't seek a trade war, illegal detention of foreign citizens or wanton suppression against foreign enterprises," she said.

Hua made the remarks at a press briefing in response to the recent China-US high-level strategic dialogue, during which the United States mentioned multiple times China's economic and military coercion against US allies.

The Chinese side had made strong responses to the so-called issues of "allies" and "coercion" at the dialogue. "The US and some so-called allies of it cannot represent the international community," Hua said.

The fact is, the overwhelming majority of countries do not take the United States as the international community, its values as international values, or its opinion as international opinion. They don't recognize rules made by a small number of countries as international rules, she said.

Hua said there are problems and different positions between China and the United States and its allies including Australia respectively, and the ins and outs of those problems are crystal clear.

"The attempt to form a clique to pressure and blackmail China, even intimidate China by virtue of someone else won't work," she said.

"We hope the US can show the confidence and demeanor of a major country, and stop coercing other countries into choosing sides and into interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining China's interests," she said.