China : US is living in the past

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping
China has condemned the "Cold War mentality" of the White House after the publication of a new US national security policy.

In the newly published US national security strategy, China and Russia are said to "challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity".

"They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence."

In a speech about the new strategy, Mr Trump openly admitted that the US faced a new era of competition, and that China and Russia were the primary threats to US economic dominance.

But, he said, the US must attempt to build a "great partnership with them".

The Chinese have responded.  China's foreign ministry slammed the strategy report, saying Washington should "abandon outdated notions".

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "No country or report will succeed in distorting facts or deploying malicious slander.

"We urge the US side to stop intentionally distorting China's strategic intentions and to abandon outdated ideas of Cold War mentality and the zero-sum game."