A top Chinese diplomat has accused the United States of attempting to turn China into an “imagined enemy.” State media reported the comment Monday after high-level talks between U.S. and Chinese officials in China. The official, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, also accused the administration of President Joe Biden of trying to suppress China’s development. Xie met Monday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in the northern city of Tianjin. Sherman is America’s second highest-ranking diplomat. The U.S. State Department described the four-hour meeting as “frank and open.” Foreign media were not permitted at the site of the talks, but Chinese media reported on the discussions. The United States wants to reignite the sense of national purpose by establishing China as an 'imaginary enemy,’” Chinese media reported Xie as saying. The official added that the U.S. was using its government and society to attempt to suppress China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China requested during the talks that the U.S. “change course and correct its mistakes. The state of U.S.-Chinese relations worsened under the former administration of President Donald Trump. The two sides still have major differences on several issues, including trade, technology, cybersecurity and human rights.
