Wang condemns 'reckless provocation' by Washington

China will react firmly and rationally to bullying by the United States, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, referring to Washington's attempts at suppressing Beijing on every front.

Wang made the remark on Tuesday in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, during which he accused the US of being blatant and unreasonable.

"The US' reckless provocation of confrontation and division is out of touch with the reality that the interests of China and the US are deeply integrated, and it is out of sync with the common aspirations of the people of all countries," Wang said.

"We, bearing in mind the common interests of the Chinese and American people and the people of the world, stand ready to strive to maintain the stability of China-US relations through equal communication and exchanges with the US side," he added.

China will take firm countermeasures against any egregious behavior that undermines its legitimate rights and interests, Wang said, adding that "China doesn't stir up trouble and always exercises maximum restraint".

Relations between China and the US have deteriorated considerably amid growing conflicts on various issues, culminating in the closure of consulates in Houston and Chengdu in recent days.

China's countermeasures against US suppression are strong, reasonable and constructive, said Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University.

"China is not willing to see disputes and frictions in its relationship with the US or to push bilateral ties to a terrible conclusion, and it would like to ensure room for maneuver in their relations," he said.

The future of China-US relations is uncertain, Li said, adding that China should engage more with the outside world through deepening reform and expanding opening-up, and enhance exchanges with other countries to reduce the impact of containment by the US.

During the foreign ministers' phone call, Wang also called on all countries to resist "any unilateral or hegemonic act and safeguard world peace and development".

Amid escalating tensions between China and the US, Wang has had intensive conversations, by telephone or videoconference, with his counterparts from European countries in recent days.

In addition to his discussion with the French foreign minister, Wang has also talked with his counterparts from Germany and the United Kingdom, and had a videoconference with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday.

During the conversations, Wang stressed the importance of China's cooperation with those countries, as well as the European Union, and their joint efforts to uphold multilateralism.

Cui Hongjian, director of the Department for European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that maintaining frequent contacts with European countries is a characteristic of China-EU relations.

"Amid China-US confrontation and aggressive moves by the US to court its European allies, it is necessary for China to communicate with the EU and clarify misunderstandings in order to enhance its confidence in cooperation with China," Cui said.

The EU is not willing to see all-out confrontation between China and the US as this is not in line with its interests, he said, adding that the EU's current strategy is to try to play a role to avoid that situation.

Europe has confidence in China's economy, Cui said, adding that it hopes China will continue with reform and opening-up to provide a better environment for trade cooperation.

Liu Yinmeng in Los Angeles contributed to this story.