BEIJING: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi lashed out against the United States and praised his country's partnership with Russia on Thursday, in a wide-ranging news conference where he called the war in Gaza a "disgrace for civilization."

Wang hit out at what he called efforts by Washington "to suppress China," telling reporters that "the desire to heap blame under any pretext has reached an unbelievable level."

Beijing's top diplomat met the media on Thursday on the sidelines of China's largest annual political gathering, which opened in the capital earlier this week.

The "Two Sessions" — parallel meetings of China's rubber-stamp parliament and political consultative body — offer a rare glimpse into the strategy of President Xi Jinping's Communist Party-led government for the year ahead.

This year's gathering is being closely watched for signals as to Chinese leaders' confidence in current geopolitical conditions, as tensions persist across the Taiwan Strait and Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year.

China's expanding political reach has sparked friction on multiple fronts, with Wang's news conference coming after Southeast Asian and Australian leaders warned this week against Chinese actions that "endanger peace" in the South China Sea.

Beijing has increasingly flexed its muscles in the vital body of water, which it claims in almost its entirety despite an international arbitration ruling that declared its stance baseless.

"We resolutely oppose all acts of hegemony and bullying, and will strongly uphold national sovereignty and security, as well as development interests," Wang told the media.

"The methods used to suppress China are constantly being renewed, and the list of unilateral sanctions is constantly being extended," he said, referring to US actions.

On Taiwan, the veteran diplomat warned that people seeking independence for the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as its territory, would be "liquidated by history."

Wang insisted that China's actions in the South China Sea were reasonable, saying Beijing had "always maintained a high degree of restraint."

Beijing "advocates the spirit of essential good-neighborliness... but we will not allow goodwill to be abused," he added.

'Force for peace'?

"In the face of complex turmoil in the international environment, China will persist in being a force for peace, a force for stability, and a force for progress in the world," he told reporters.

Wang also reiterated China's support for Palestinians when asked about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, saying Beijing supports full United Nations membership for a Palestinian state.

"The catastrophe in Gaza once again reminded the world that the fact that the Palestinian territories have been occupied for a long time can no longer be ignored," he said.

"The long-cherished wish of the Palestinian people to establish an independent country can no longer be evaded, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue for generations without being corrected," he added.

He called the conflict "a tragedy for humankind and a disgrace for civilization."

Wang also defended Beijing's close relationship with Moscow, saying, "China and Russia have set a new paradigm for major power relations that is completely different from the old Cold War era."

The minister said bilateral ties rested on "the basis of nonalignment, nonconfrontation and nontargeting of third parties."

Western powers have criticized Beijing for refusing to condemn Moscow for invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine war, but its strategic partnership with Russia has grown closer since the start of the war.

Wang also told reporters on Thursday that the European Union's portrayal of China as a rival was "not factual or feasible," amid efforts by the bloc to fend off competition from Beijing in areas including technology, energy and electric vehicles.