ISTANBUL

China on Tuesday cautiously reacted to JD Vance, the vice-presidential pick by former US President Donald Trump.

“We have always opposed the US hyping issues related to China during their elections,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing, state media reported.

In his first comments after being nominated by Trump as his Republican running mate, Vance branded China as the “biggest threat” to the US.

The US will hold its presidential elections later this year in November.

Vance told Fox News that Trump would negotiate with Russia and Ukraine to “bring this thing (war) to a rapid close so America can focus on the real issue, which is China.”

“That’s the biggest threat to our country and we are completely distracted from it,” he said.