BEIJING, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Pressure will not solve China's currency issue and could even have the opposite effect, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, pushing against a tide of criticism from Washington on the yuan.
"I would point out that appreciation of the renminbi will not solve the U.S. deficit and unemployment problems," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news conference.
Jiang's comments were Beijing's first official statement on the yuan after sharpened criticism from U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who said on Wednesday that the appreciation of the Chinese currency has been too slow and limited. (Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ken Wills)