China's position on issues related to ports in Panama is clear, and it will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.

Rejecting accusations by the United States that China had been harassing and detaining Panama-flagged ships, Mao said at a regular news conference that the US remarks are a completely unfounded distortion of the truth.

The US side's repeated hyping of this issue only exposes its own intention to seize the Panama Canal, Mao said, adding that it is clear who is blatantly undermining the neutrality of the canal through unilateral bullying and coercion, thereby disrupting the stability of the global supply chain.