On Friday the Foreign Ministry rejected the United States' labeling China as "a thuggish regime", saying Washington has confounded right with wrong in an attempt to conceal the fact it interferes in China's domestic affairs.

The spokesperson of the US State Department was astonished to claim the job of American diplomats was to meddle with the domestic affairs of other countries, the ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

"Can the world be at peace with the way the US operates?" Hua asked in the statement.

Hua's comments came as US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus on Thursday called China a "thuggish regime" for disclosing photographs and personal details of a US diplomat who met with major leaders of the "Hong Kong Independence" activist groups.

The US State Department spokesperson should look at her own words and behaviors instead of using media reports to hit out at the government of another country, Hua said, adding US interference in Hong Kong affairs has aroused resolute opposition and strong indignation from the Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots.

She urged the US side to observe international law and basic norms governing international relations, and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in China's domestic affairs.

The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also said on its website that the labeling is a blatant slander against China, which has confounded right with wrong and again exposed US gangster logic and hegemonic thinking.

The spokesperson said that instead of repenting of and stopping its arbitrary interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's domestic affairs, the US side has made venomous and unfounded allegations against the Chinese government for the leak of the information. It perceives China with malice, which again reveals its dark mentality.

The spokesperson pointed out that the US State Department spokesperson seems to take it for granted that it is the job of American diplomats to collude with local anti-government and even separatist forces everywhere around the world. Such acts arbitrarily undermine other countries' sovereignty and security despite their opposition and indignation, and show little regard for international law and basic norms governing international relations, including non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs. The international community knows only too well what a record the US keeps in this regard and how much harm such gangster logic and hegemonic acts have done to the world.

The spokesperson emphasized that what is done in darkness will eventually come to light. China again sternly urges the US side to abide by international law and norms governing international relations, and stop its wrong actions of interfering in other countries' domestic affairs and undermining their sovereignty and security. Otherwise, it would only shoot itself in the foot and meet with international opprobrium.

A day earlier, China had asked the US to clarify media reports about the US official's meeting with the activists, and urged it to stop sending "wrong signals" to the violent lawbreakers in the country's special administrative region.