BEIJING -- China will hit back at "condescending" criticism from other nations with a "fighting spirit," officials said Thursday, signaling a more muscular diplomatic policy as President Xi Jinping gears up for a precedent-breaking third term.
The comments on the sidelines of the national congress in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party's top leadership meeting, come amid a mounting spat with Britain after a pro-democracy protester was beaten at China's consulate in Manchester.