"It is never China's goal to surpass or replace the U.S., or engage in zero-sum competition with it," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declared on Wednesday in response to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's comment on the virtual meeting between the presidents of China and the U.S. 

Psaki said that the meeting "is an opportunity to set the terms of the competition with China," to which Zhao replied that China would rather focus on its own progress and improving the livelihoods of its people.