ISTANBUL 

China on Friday rejected accusations that Beijing is "instilling disinformation and encouraging violence" after the assassination of US conservative Charlie Kirk.

"China condemns all unlawful and violent acts. That said, we firmly oppose some US politicians accusing China of 'instilling disinformation and encouraging violence' and reject the spread of disinformation and vilification," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on US social media company X.

Beijing's reaction came after Governor of the US state of Utah Spencer Cox alleged Thursday that Russian and Chinese bots are seeking to foment civil strife in the wake of the fatal shooting of American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

"We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world, that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those streams, and to spend a little more time with our families," Cox said.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot Wednesday while addressing a group of students at Utah Valley University in the city of Orem, some 40 miles (64.4 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

The apparent targeted attack occurred despite security, including six university police officers and Kirk's private team.

Online videos captured the moment a bullet struck Kirk as he spoke, sending students fleeing in panic. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead hours later.