“China has initiated an unprecedented effort to influence American public opinion, the 2018 [midterm congressional] elections, and the environment leading into the 2020 presidential elections,” US Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday during a highly anticipated speech in Washington, dispatches reported.

In reaction, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday that Mr Pence had 'slandered' China.

'The relevant speech made unwarranted accusations against China's domestic and foreign policies and slandered China by claiming that China meddles in the US internal affairs and elections. This is nothing but speaking on hearsay evidence, confusing right and wrong and creating something out of thin air,' Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Hua as saying.

'It is very ridiculous for the US side to stigmatize its normal exchanges and cooperation with China as China interfering in its internal affairs and elections,' said Hua, adding that China always follows the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs and has no interest in meddling in US internal affairs and elections.

She said China unswervingly pursues the path of peaceful development and commits itself to developing friendly and cooperative relations with all other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and forging a community with a shared future for humanity.

China is always the builder of world peace, contributor to world development and defender of the international order, and China's economic and diplomatic activities around the globe are widely welcomed by other countries, said Hua, adding that China will by no means seek its own development at the expense of other countries' interests.

'The international community has already known fully well who want only infringes upon others' sovereignty, interferes in others' internal affairs and undermines others' interests,' Hua said.

She said China is committed to joining hands with the United States to work for non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

'We urge the US side to correct its wrongdoing, stop groundlessly accusing and slandering China and harming China's interests and China-US ties, and take concrete actions to maintain the sound and steady development of China-US relations,' Hua said.