BEIJING - China has lodged serious protests to the US side over unfounded accusations against China made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Rubio, during his visits to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic from Feb 1 to 6, made comments concerning China, including on China's cooperation with LAC. He also claimed to "counter the influence of the Chinese Communist Party" in the Western Hemisphere.

The spokesperson said that the groundless comments from the US side, steeped in Cold War mentality and ideological bias, are unfounded accusations against China aimed at sowing discord between China and relevant LAC countries, which interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests.

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On China-LAC cooperation, the spokesperson said China is committed to growing friendship and cooperative ties with LAC countries under the principle of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

"Between China and LAC countries, there is no zero-sum and the-winner-takes-all geopolitical calculations, only sincere mutual support and cooperation for shared progress," the spokesperson said.

"We never attach any strings to the practical cooperation between China and LAC countries, or target any third party," the spokesperson said, adding that the cooperation meets the need of LAC countries, is mutually beneficial, and has delivered tangibly to relevant countries and made lives better for the local population.

The spokesperson noted that the US side points fingers at normal cooperation between LAC countries and a third country, showing no respect for LAC countries.

The overwhelming trend of China and LAC countries working together for stronger cooperation is irreversible, the spokesperson added.

On cybersecurity, the spokesperson noted that China has been all along committed to safeguarding cybersecurity and carrying out cooperation in relevant areas based on the principle of win-win cooperation.

Chinese companies have been widely popular for their advanced 5G technologies and secure and efficient services. "Smearing Chinese companies and suppressing Chinese technologies will neither hold back China's development and progress nor stop its cooperation with other countries, but only cut oneself off opportunities," said the spokesperson.

On the Taiwan question, the spokesperson said there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

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The spokesperson said 183 countries have established diplomatic ties with China, which fully shows that supporting the one-China principle is the right thing to do and where the public opinion trends and the arc of history bends.

The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which brooks no foreign interference, the spokesperson said.

The US interruption of the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and LAC countries will win no support and is doomed to fail, the spokesperson added.