China on Wednesday rejected U.S accusations of "coercion and corruption," saying these words best describe Washington.

"China is a responsible major country that never seeks hegemony or coerces others to reach its goals. Instead, it is a common consensus that the words best describe the U.S.," spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Her remarks were in response to U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo who said China is "a strategic competitor that uses coercion and corruption as its tools of statecraft," at the Heritage Foundation Annual President's Club Meeting on Tuesday.

Hua noted that "China's remarkable achievements made in fighting against corruption and advancing strict governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have received wide recognition from the public as well as respect and admiration from the international community."

The U.S. is well-known for its "money politics," Hua said, noting that the U.S. Congress is captured by conglomerates and special interest groups.

She cited reports from Western media which claimed that on average a seat in the U.S. Senate costs 19.4 million U.S. dollars while a seat in the House of Representatives costs 1.5 million U.S. dollars.

"A lie will not become truth even if you tell it a thousand times," Hua stressed, urging the U.S. to focus on solving its domestic problems instead of blaming others.

(Cover: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) listens with other administration officials as President Donald Trump (L) speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 21, 2019. /Reuters Photo)