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Increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong are the “creation of the U.S.,” China charged Tuesday, for the first time laying direct blame on Washington as their dispute over the unrest escalates.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remark at a news briefing in response to comments by U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. The top American diplomat had said Monday that he hoped “the Chinese will do the right thing” in managing the demonstrations.

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“It’s clear that Mr. Pompeo has put himself in the wrong position and still regards himself as the head of the CIA,” Hua said, referring to Pompeo’s previous role at the intelligence agency. “He might think that violent activities in Hong Kong are reasonable because after all, this is the creation of the U.S.”

The comments show that U.S.-China strains over Hong Kong are increasing, even as the two sides resume trade talks in Shanghai. Last week, Hua urged Washington to remove its “black hand” from the protests, a comment that the State Department dismissed as “ridiculous.”