NEW YORK (DNA) – China’s top diplomat hit back at U.S. criticism of its trade and development model on Tuesday, saying Beijing had no intention to “play the Game of Thrones on the world stage” but warned Washington to respect its sovereignty, including in Hong Kong.

Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister and state councilor, said Beijing would not bow to threats, including on trade, though he said he hoped a round of high-level trade talks next month would produce positive results.

In a speech on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York – which Wang is expected to address on Friday – he urged a move away from confrontation between the two biggest global economies, saying they should cooperate for mutual benefit and for that of rest of the world.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump had a stern message for China and its president, Xi Jinping, in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly, saying that the United States would no longer tolerate Beijing’s trade practices and that he would not accept a “bad deal” with China on trade.

He also warned that the world was watching how Beijing handles mass demonstrations in Hong Kong that have heightened fears of a potential Chinese crackdown.

Trump has sought to pressure China to agree to reduce trade barriers through a policy of increasing tariffs on Chinese products. He accused China of the theft of trade secrets “on a grand scale” and said it was taking advantage of World Trade Organization rules that give Beijing beneficial treatment as a “developing economy”.