BEIJING - The United States should reflect deeply on and address the problem of systemic racial discrimination and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minorities, including people of Asian descent, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

Spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing that both the so-called "China Initiative" and the anti-Asian words and deeds in the United States are manifestations of systemic racial discrimination and reflect deep-seated problems of the US society.

Survey results show that in 2020, hate crime cases targeting the Asian community in the United States increased by 76 percent. A quarter of young Asians were the target of racial discrimination and bullying, Wang said.

"These shocking numbers have aroused widespread concerns in many Asian countries and the international community," Wang added.

The US should deeply reflect on the problem of systemic racial discrimination, take concrete measures to correct it, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minorities, including people of Asian descent, and let them stay away from violence and fear and enjoy their due equal rights, Wang said.