Washington's recent accusation that China is interfering in the United States' internal affairs is an utter absurdity aimed at distracting public attention from its domestic troubles.

This time, Washington is claiming that China has targeted certain voters in the US midterm elections with its retaliatory trade measures.

That is nonsense because these trade measures are a legitimate response to Washington's tariff offensive targeting Beijing. China has been forced to fight back, and it has done so tit-for-tat, it has nothing to do with US voters or elections.

With Washington imposing additional tariffs on more and more Chinese products, many US industries and districts have been affected, and American families and consumers are paying a high price for their government's actions.

These consequences are of Washington's own making.

The US smear campaign against China can neither conceal Washington's attempt to shift the focus away from domestic issues during the election season nor achieve the goal of blackmailing China. What's more, it will never deter China from seeking mutually beneficial cooperation with the rest of the world.

China continues to adhere to a path of peaceful development and to uphold the principle of noninterference in other countries' internal affairs, which has been widely recognized by the international community.

Meanwhile, China is committed to developing friendly cooperation with other countries and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Its Belt and Road Initiative has attracted partners across the world and built up great momentum for peace and development.

In sharp contrast, the United States has been interfering in China's internal affairs concerning Taiwan, Tibet and the South China Sea. It is also crystal clear which country tends to meddle in other countries' internal affairs via military invasions, economic sanctions, cultural infiltration or election manipulation.

Forty years into its epic process of reform and opening-up, China now has a huge consumer market and a complete industrial system, with strong innovation momentum and economic resilience.

Both China and the US benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation. Waging a trade war against China will not help the US solve its underlying economic problems, and even if it could curb China's development that will not make America great again.

In today's world, it is an irresistible trend to pursue peace and development through win-win cooperation. Unilateralism, protectionism and anti-globalization go against the tide of the times and will lead nowhere.

Washington should stop its inappropriate rhetoric and provocative behavior, join China in bringing bilateral relations back to the right track and help promote peace and development in the world.

This is a Xinhua News Agency commentary.