China slams U.S. defense act for reflecting ‘Cold War mentality’

China on Monday blasted the US over what it termed as "Cold War mentality" towards Beijing, local media reported.

Responding to the approval of the US National Defense Authorization Act-2021, the Chinese Defense Ministry said it firmly opposes the contents of the act.

"They stick to the 'Cold War' mentality, hype 'China military threat' and China-US strategic competition," Chinese daily Global Times quoted the ministry as saying.

"[It] interferes in China's internal affairs," the ministry added.

Last week, the US Senate voted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the $740-billion defense spending bill.

On Dec. 23, Trump had vetoed the annual defense funding bill, following through on his threat to do so over a litany of grievances. "The biggest winner of our new defense bill is China! I will veto!," he wrote on Twitter.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have said the wide-ranging defense policy bill would "be tough on China."

Meanwhile, addressing a news conference in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement over jail terms given to 10 Hong Kongers last week.

"Talking about human rights…The COVID-19 epidemic has caused more than 350,000 deaths and 20 million infections in the US. Has Secretary Pompeo expressed sympathy over the deaths and did he ever make any efforts to save their lives?," she asked.

Pompeo had called authorities in Hong Kong as "lackeys" for the treatment of a group of fugitives known as the "Hong Kong 12".

Ten of the 12 fugitives were jailed by a Chinese court for at least three months for illegal border crossing in last August.