China's relationship with the United States has reached a "new crossroads" and could get back on the right track following a period of "unprecedented difficulty", senior diplomat Wang Yi said in official comments published on Saturday.

Relations between the world's two biggest economies have come under increasing strain amid a series of disputes over trade, human rights and the origins of COVID-19. In its latest move, the United States blacklisted dozens of Chinese companies it said had ties to the military.

Wang, China's state councillor and foreign minister, said in a joint interview with the official Xinhua News Agency and other state media outlets that recent U.S. policies toward China had harmed the interests of both countries and brought huge dangers to the world.