The United States and China reportedly clashed at the United Nations over Beijing's plan to impose a new national security law in Hong Kong. 

According to AFP, Beijing rejected a request by Washington for the UN Security Council to hold a virtual meeting over the controversial legislation.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations reportedly said in a statement that the issue was “a matter of urgent global concern ​that implicates international peace and security” and therefore warranted the immediate attention of the 15-member council.

The mission said that China's opposition to a Security Council meeting on Hong Kong shows that Beijing is not behaving as a responsible UN member state, urging China to stop fearing transparency and international accountability. 

In response, China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said in a Twitter post that China categorically rejects the baseless request because the national security legislation is an "internal matter" and has nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council.