The Chinese embassy in Germany has dismissed the US secretary of state’s accusations of the Chinese government’s growing authoritarianism as the product of a “Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset.”

Speaking in Berlin on Friday ahead of 30th anniversary events to mark the falling of the Berlin Wall, Mike Pompeo took aim at both China and Russia, saying the world needs to be protected from threats posed by both and that “free nations are in a competition of values with unfree nations.”

Pompeo also accused the Chinese Communist Party of “shaping a new vision of authoritarianism.”

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Responding to the remarks, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Germany said Beijing “expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to Pompeo’s comments, adding that they seem designed to drive a wedge between China and European nations.

The spokesperson added that “unilateralism and protectionism pose a serious threat to world peace and stability,” and China is willing to strengthen relations with Germany “so as to make contributions to world peace and development.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused Pompeo of ideological prejudice and said that “attempts to separate the Chinese people and the Chinese Communist Party are a provocation against the entire Chinese people and are doomed to fail.”

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