Beijing reiterated on Thursday that it does not seek to challenge or replace the United States. It also called on Washington to view China objectively and return to reason in its policies towards the country.

If the US thinks that everything China does is a threat, such attitude would become self-fulfilling, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.

Hua also invited US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Xinjiang to see for himself that “there are no human rights violations against the region’s Uighur Muslim minority,” Reuters reported.