China urges US to stop 'inciting ideological confrontation'

China on Thursday urged the US to "stop inciting ideological confrontation" and "interfering in China's internal affairs" after Washington issued a statement marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

"We urge the US side to act on the commitment of respecting China and Chinese people, stop inciting ideological confrontation and stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of democracy and human rights," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular news conference.

Her remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement Wednesday marking the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

"No amount of censorship can erase the past. Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday," Rubio said.

Mao said the Chinese government had long ago reached a "clear conclusion" on the "political disturbance" that occurred in the late 1980s.

She described the US remarks as "erroneous," calling them "a distortion of historical facts, vilification of China's political system and development path, and interference in China's internal affairs," and expressed Beijing's "strong deplorement and firm opposition."

"No country or force in the world can stop the Chinese people from forging ahead," she added.

The 1989 protests began on April 15 and were forcibly suppressed on June 4, when the Chinese government deployed the military to regain control of Tiananmen Square.

Nearly 300 people were killed and 7,000 injured, including soldiers.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply following the crackdown.