Beijing has slammed US Vice President Mike Pence for his 'arrogance and hypocrisy' after he voiced support for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters.

Pence said he 'stood with' Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters and accused the NBA of 'siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech'.

He went on to say that the NBA was 'acting like a wholly owned subsidiary of the authoritarian regime'.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing that the United States should 'cease expressing irresponsible opinions'.

Vice President Mike Pence slammed the National Basketball Association and Nike as he discussed US-China relations on Thursday at the Wilson Center's inaugural Frederic V. Malek Public Service Leadership Lecture, in Washington

Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests on October 4 and quickly deleted it, but the resulting controversy has swamped the league for weeks

Pence made the comments after Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of anti-China protesters in Hong Kong.

The tweet sparked enormous backlash from China and NBA products were pulled from shelves across the country.

Pence rebuked Nike and the NBA for 'siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech' over a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey earlier this month that voiced support for demonstrations in Hong Kong.

China, a major basketball market, retaliated by ending sponsorships and cancelling broadcasts of two pre-season games held in the country.

Pence singled out the shoe company for removing Houston Rockets merchandise from stores in China after the team's general manager angered the Chinese government with a tweet supporting protesters in Hong Kong.

Hua hit out at the US for losing 'all trace of morality and trustworthiness' and urged the US to 'cease actions that harm the relations and mutual trust between the two countries'.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (pictured) said at a regular press briefing that the United States should 'cease expressing irresponsible opinions'

A shelf covered with a NBA logo is seen at an Nike store in Beijing on October 10

Anti-riot police disperse protesters during a demonstration against a newly imposed law banning face masks on October 6

In a wide-ranging speech on US-China relations, Pence on Thursday also lashed Beijing over its trading behavior, assertive military posture and treatment of religious minorities.

He said the United States stands with the protesters in Hong Kong, millions of whom have taken to the streets in sometimes violent clashes over what they see as China's tightening grip.

'We stand with you, we are inspired by you. We urge you to stay on the path of non-violent protest,' Pence said in his address at the Washington think tank.

Pro-democracy protesters are arrested by police during a clash at a demonstration in Wan Chai district on October 6

Protestors set fire on the street in Causeway Bay during a demonstration against a ban on face masks in public on October 6

He sharply criticized China for its treatment of Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region. Earlier this month, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials it believes responsible for the detention or abuse of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

Pence also chided China for its repression of religious minorities and its aggressive territorial disputes with smaller neighbors. He said the US stands with the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

China took control of Hong Kong from Britain in 1997 under an agreement in which Beijing promised to let the city maintain its own legal and financial system and preserve civil liberties unseen on the mainland.

The protesters fear Beijing is reneging on those promises.