"We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

On Wednesday, China stocks turned flat after opening marginally higher, while Hong Kong stocks dropped, as investors watched the progress of the US election for clues on the outcome and any potential implication for the Chinese economy. 

Markets were leaning towards the return of Donald Trump as president, who has promised voters he will impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on Chinese imports.

By the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.16 percent at 3,392.36 points, while the blue-chip CSI 300 index was down 0.02 percent.

"Chance of a Trump win is getting bigger, investors are now worried about more tensions over exports and tech competition, so China markets turned lower," said Steven Leung, executive director of institutional sales at UOB Kay Hian.

China's equity market is in the midst of recovering from a years-long slump as authorities promise to address weak consumption and a downturn in the real estate sector. The CSI 300 index is up more than 20 percent since Sept. 23, when Beijing started rolling out rate cuts and stimulus.

But a Trump win could stymie that rally, with technology, defence and export sectors in the crosshairs of his policies.

However, Leung said he believes many election risks have already been priced in, and near-term China markets performance will likely depend more on the stimulus details from the National People's Congress meeting, which concludes on Friday.

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