China will never take the initiative to bully others, but the country will hit back at any move to slander it, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a video news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.

The country's foreign policy is based on its civilization of 5,000 years, Wang said, adding that the Chinese people, who cherish peace and harmony and treat others with honesty, stand by firm principles and possess a strong mind.

"We will surely tell the truth in the face of groundless defamation to safeguard resolutely justice and human conscience," he said.

A number of foreign media outlets have been saying that China has taken on a "wolf-warrior" style of diplomacy, as Chinese diplomats rebuke false accusations by other countries over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In response, Wang said China has always adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace, and it will always champion peace, development and win-win cooperation amid any changes in the international situation.

The country will also continue maintaining world peace and promote common development, and it will conduct friendly cooperation with all other countries, Wang said.

China's diplomacy focuses on building a community with a shared future for mankind, he said, and countries should live in peace with each other, treat each other equally and consult with each other instead of bowing to decisions made by "just one or two countries".

As a result, China has always believed that the world should be a multipolar one with international relations democratized, all of which are in line with the progress of human civilization, as well as the aspiration of most countries, Wang said.

China will never seek hegemony in the international community and it will always stand by the common interests of all countries, he said, adding that "those who always try to label China 'hegemonic' are the ones who are hanging on to hegemony".

Also, in the face of increasing global challenges, China hopes countries will support and work with each other more, and reduce accusations and confrontations, Wang said.