China says U.S. Pompeo comments a vicious attack on China, Communist Party

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments targeting Beijing and the ruling Communist Party were a vicious attack and that any attempt to smear China or obstruct its growth were doomed to fail.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing that Pompeo's remarks also reflected fear and arrogance and exposed an anti-communist mindset.

Pompeo on Wednesday said that Beijing was focused on international domination and needed to be confronted, stepping up recent rhetoric from Washington aimed at China's Communist Party.

(Reporting by Cate Cadell; Writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)