China on Thursday slammed as "groundless" a US decision to order Chinese
diplomats to notify the State Department before meeting with local officials, in the latest spat to strain bilateral relations.
Washington -- which called the move "reciprocal" -- announced the decision Wednesday in response to the inability of US diplomats to meet with a range of Chinese officials and academics, a senior State Department official said, speaking anonymously.
"What the US has said about
China restricting the activities of US diplomats is simply groundless," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, adding that China "consistently supported" US diplomats in the country.