China firmly opposes the U.S. side using the issue of illegal immigration as a pretext to smear China, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States said Monday in a statement.

The statement was issued as some U.S. media and politicians have heightened the so-called issue of Chinese immigrants illegally entering the United States and blamed China for inaction to curb the trend.

The spokesperson said China's position on the issue of illegal immigration is consistent and clear. The Chinese government firmly opposes all forms of illegal immigration.

In recent years, Chinese law enforcement departments have cracked down hard on crimes that harm the tranquility of the national border, and maintained high pressure against all kinds of smuggling organizations and offenders, the spokesperson said, adding that relevant work has produced good results.

Meanwhile, Chinese law enforcement agencies have maintained regular cooperation with relevant countries to jointly tackle cross-border smuggling activities, repatriate illegal immigrants and maintain the order of the international flow of people, the spokesperson said.

It should be noted that the issue of illegal immigration is an international one that requires international cooperation, the spokesperson said, adding that China firmly opposes U.S. media and politicians using the issue as a pretext to smear and scapegoat China.

While China is open to collaboration with the United States on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, the United States needs to demonstrate sincerity, pay reciprocal attention to China's concerns, and create a proper atmosphere for cooperation, the spokesperson said.