China has criticized the US government for ordering the departure of some staff members of the US consulate general in Shanghai and their families.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a news conference on Tuesday that China's anti-epidemic policies are science-based and effective.

Zhao said China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to what he called the politicization represented by the evacuation order. He said China had lodged a protest with the US.

The spokesperson said the US should stop playing politics with China's pandemic response and refrain from defaming the country.