Chinese experts have denounced the U.S. accusation of China’s underperformance in global counterterrorism efforts, adding that anti-terrorism actions should abide by UN rules, not U.S. laws.

The Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, which was released by U.S. Department of States on July 19, criticized China’s law enforcement agencies for being reluctant to conduct joint investigations or share specific threat information with their U.S. counterparts. The report also noted that Chinese authorities did not respond to requests for information about state media-reported arrests and operations, adding that the lack of transparency would complicate the situation.

“America’s accusation is merely another cut and dried cliché, as such statements also appeared in last year’s report,” Li Wei, chief of the Counter-Terrorism Research Center at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

According to Li, China’s absence in the U.S.-initiated Anti-Islamic State Coalition is reasonable, as the union has its own shortcomings and problems. The U.S. has been drawing many Middle Eastern countries into conflicts with regional counterparts, a move that limits international cooperation and creates even more conflicts.

“China’s stance on counterterrorism is clear,” said Li. “The UN Security Council should take the leading role to tackle global terrorism, while international anti-terrorism cooperation should also abide by UN rules.”

The report also condemned China for its “limited ability” in countering terrorism financing, noting that China is incapable of freezing funds and investigating bank transactions, while the country lacks adequate regulations defining the rights of bona fide third parties in seizures and confiscations.

“The report’s conclusion is single-faceted. Terrorism financing is a very complicated issue that includes regular and underground channels. China has established anti-money laundering centers and has established a system to report suspicious trades and transactions, but such efforts are not sufficient to tackle the world-wide problem of underground financing,” said Li.

“The U.S. should not judge China's counterterrorism efforts and cooperation based on its own mindset, or impose its own biased subjective opinions on other nations,” said Li. “Instead, it should look at its own problems before lashing out at other nations.”