Beijing on Friday lashed out at a claim by the US intelligence chief that China is the "greatest threat to democracy and freedom worldwide", calling it a "hodgepodge of lies".

The war of words comes as relations between the two superpowers have spiralled to their lowest point in decades and as Washington unveiled travel restrictions for members of the Chinese Communist Party.

US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on Thursday that Chinese spies were using economic pressure to influence or undermine US legislators.

"The People's Republic of China poses the greatest threat to America today, and the greatest threat to democracy and freedom worldwide since World War II," he wrote.

Beijing hit back angrily on Friday.

"[Ratcliffe] only continues to repeat lies and rumours to slander and discredit China, and wantonly play up the Chinese threat," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

"I think this is yet another hodgepodge of lies that the US government has been cooking up lately."

Hua also accused the US of being "engaged in a Cold War mindset, advocating major power competition, and wantonly expanding its nuclear weapons arsenal".

The world's two biggest economies have traded blows over the coronavirus pandemic, trade and technology competition, espionage, human rights and media freedoms under US President Donald Trump's tenure.

The US has repeatedly stressed that China is a grave threat to national security and Western democratic values, while China has accused the US of seeking to contain its rise through unlawful means.

Under the new US travel rules, visas issued to party members and their immediate family will remain valid for just one month, and for a single entry.

Previously some visas were issued that permitted unlimited entries and could remain valid for as long as 10 years.

The United States shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston in July, calling it a centre of espionage and harassment of Chinese nationals in the US.

In retaliation Beijing ordered the US to vacate its consulate in Chengdu.

Hua on Friday called for the United States to "stop damaging US-China relations and US-China mutual trust and cooperation".

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Tweet

US hits Chinese company over Venezuela internet curbs
Washington (AFP) Dec 1, 2020
The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on a major Chinese electronics and engineering company for assisting Venezuela in curbing dissent on the internet. The US said it was restricting transactions with the China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC), and blocking assets of any firm in which the state-owned company holds a 50 percent stake or higher. The Treasury Department said CEIEC provides expertise to Venezuela's state-owned telecom company - which has blocked i ... read more