China reiterated on Friday that the China-U.S. relations should be based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits. 

The U.S. side is in no position to lecture or criticize China, nor is it qualified to deal with China from a position of strength, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Friday. 

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit northern Chinese city of Tianjin from July 25 to 26. 

When announcing the trip, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Sherman will continue to speak to China from "a position of strength" during her visit. 

In response, Zhao dismissed the statement, saying it was arrogant and overbearing.

"We didn't buy it in Anchorage, and we surely won't buy it in Tianjin," said Zhao, referring to a China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue in the Alaskan city back in March. 

The nature of what the U.S. called competition, cooperation and confrontation in dealing with China is to define China as a rival, to provoke confrontation and contain and suppress China's development, said Zhao. 

He added the U.S. approach fails to identify the mainstream of the China-U.S. relations and runs counter to facts, and does not serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples or follow the trend of the times, stressing it is fundamentally a zero-sum mentality.  

Price also said Wednesday the China-U.S. relationship should have "guard rails" in place so that competition does not veer into conflict.

The Chinese spokesperson said the China-U.S. relations do need guard rails, but the U.S. side cannot define them unilaterally.  

"The real guard rail for the China-U.S. relations is for the U.S. side to stop interfering in China's internal affairs, stop smearing and discrediting China, and stop harming China's interests," he said, vowing the Chinese side will continue to make clear its principles and stance on the bilateral ties, and resolutely defend sovereignty, security and development interests during Sherman's trip.  

During her visit, Xie Feng, China's vice foreign minister, also in charge of the China-U.S. relations, will hold talks with Sherman, and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet her later, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

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(Cover: A file photo of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. /CFP)