China is not interested in challenging or replacing others: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- China pursues development in order to bring better lives to the people, without any interests in challenging or replacing others, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on CIA Director William Burns' speech on Thursday, in which he called China a "formidable competitor lacking in neither ambition nor capability," and said that China is "intent" on replacing the United States as "the preeminent power in the Indo-Pacific."

Zhao said the United States has been constantly disseminating disinformation about the Ukraine crisis, flagrantly slandering China and driving a wedge between China and Russia with an agenda of profiting from the repercussions of its blame-shifting and the confrontation it incites among others.

"The United States should focus more on its responsibility for the outbreak and escalation of the Ukraine crisis," Zhao said.

He stressed that China pursues development in order to bring better lives to the people, without any interests in challenging or replacing others.

"For too long, the United States has been whipping up the 'China threat theory' and throwing dirty water at China. But lies remain lies, no matter how many times they are repeated. The world can make a fair judgement about China's contributions to world peace and development," the spokesperson said.

Certain U.S. politicians should view China's development in an objective light, cease fabricating lies, stop sowing discord between China and other countries that China has normal relations with, and do more that is conducive to the development of China-U.S. relations, Zhao said.