According to Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, Sino-US relations are in "serious trouble".
Feng suspects a US campaign against China to bring the country down.
Beijing - China has called on the US to end its policy of "demonizing" and promoting the People's Republic.
"We call on the United States to change its highly misguided way of thinking and dangerous policies," said Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng at a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in the east Chinese metropolis of Tianjin.
It appears that a campaign is underway to bring China down.
China has become an “imaginary enemy” in the minds of the Americans.
The hope could be that the USA wants to divert attention from its own structural problems by "demonizing" the People's Republic, Xie Feng continued.
Relations between the two states are in "serious difficulties".
Sherman is the highest-ranking US government official to have traveled to China since President Joe Biden took office.
Talks with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi were also on their program.
As a precautionary measure because of the pandemic, the talks will not be held in Beijing, but in the city of Tianjin, 130 kilometers from the capital.
The relationship between China and the USA is tense.
There are disputes over trade issues, hacking allegations, human rights abuses, Hong Kong and China's territorial claims.
dpa