China slams US for changing fact sheet to focus on trade curbs

BEIJING – China slammed changes made by the US State Department to its fact sheet on the Asian nation, describing the update that criticises Beijing’s economic practices as misrepresenting the truth.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Feb 20 called the new language an “attack” on China’s international policy at a regular press briefing in Beijing, saying the document peddled the notion of “China-US strategic competition” rather than cooperation.

“We strongly deplore and firmly oppose it,” he said, adding a message for Washington: “Stop misleading the US people and the international community. Stop smearing and putting pressure on China.”

The web page was updated on Feb 13 and now features an expanded section on economic ties that emphasises Washington’s efforts to counter Beijing’s attempts to obtain American technology.

In contrast to an archived version of the page from earlier in February, it explicitly states the US commitment to ensuring a future that’s not rooted in “untrusted technology from China and other authoritarian states”.

A State Department spokesperson said the organisation routinely updates its website and fact sheet, adding that the US “remains committed to its one-China policy”.

While US President Donald Trump has at times struck a dovish tone on the Chinese leadership, praising Mr Xi Jinping even while imposing trade tariffs, his Cabinet is stacked with China hawks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the first person in his post to be sanctioned by Beijing, while national security adviser pick Mike Waltz in 2021 declared America was in “a cold war with the Chinese Communist Party”.

The fact sheet also refers to the world’s No. 2 economy as “China” rather than the “People’s Republic of China”.

A previous section on “US Assistance to China” – which listed areas such as addressing the threat of pandemics, drug trafficking