North Korea's foreign ministry on Wednesday condemned "reckless" recent remarks by the U.S. Secretary of State on China's maritime claims in the South China Sea, accusing Washington of working to undermine Beijing's political system.

In a statement to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for Pyongyang's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that the U.S. was trying to defame the Communist Party of China (CPC) as part of a broader scheme to "overpower" the country.