China slams former US envoy’s 'nefarious' claims about Beijing’s position on Iran, Venezuela

China on Tuesday blasted a former US envoy over what it said were "nefarious" claims made about Beijing’s position on Iran and Venezuela.

Nicholas Burns, a former US ambassador to China, had said that China "damaged its claim" of becoming a major global player by failing to offer effective diplomatic support for Iran and staying silent when the US intervened in Venezuela, in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

"I think they look like a fickle friend to both the Iranians and also the Venezuelans," Burns told Bloomberg in late March.

Reacting to his comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the facts and merits are "rather clear and so is China’s position."

"Mr. Burns tried to frame China in the interview while evading the root cause, used the US’ hegemonic logic to attack and distort China’s just position for peace, and sought to sow discord between China and relevant countries. The motive is simply nefarious," she said in a news conference.

Burns served as the US ambassador to China between 2022 and 2025, under Democratic President Joe Biden.

Mao also said that "prolonging or escalating the conflict does not serve any party’s interest," when asked about US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran that "the entire country can be taken out in one night" if it does not meet his Tuesday deadline.

"All sides should play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and facilitating peace talks," Mao said.

The ongoing conflict is “hitting the world economy and energy security,” Mao noted.