BEIJING (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has changed references to China on its website, emphasising the trade deficit in an expanded section on economic ties, while dropping talk of working with allies and assistance to China on cultural and environmental issues.

China slammed changes made by the US State Department to its fact sheet on the Asian nation, describing the update that criticizes Beijing’s economic practices as misrepresenting the truth.

Following the US State Department's revision of its China fact sheet, which now highlights economic concerns, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed opposition and condemned the changes as a misrepresentation of facts,