RABAT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday denounced "blatant interference" by foreign countries in Egypt, where the United States has called for a political transition and the lifting of emergency law. With protests demanding the removal of President Hosni Mubarak now in their 17th day, the United States and allies such as Britain have called for a rapid political transition. But Washington has struggled to specify what this should entail and how soon it should happen, fuelling doubt over its strategy in a crisis that threatens to upend decades of US policy in the Middle East. "We express our strong disapproval and utmost condemnation of interference by some foreign countries that raises the stakes on the Egyptian people, in a blatant interference in its internal affairs," Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said in a speech in Morocco. He did not say which countries he had in mind. "We hope they (the Egyptians) are left alone to resolve these problems because they are more than capable of doing so," he said. Anti-Mubarak protests erupted in Egypt last month after a popular uprising toppled Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Meanwhile, China said on Thursday foreign powers should stay out of Egypt's affairs, in an oblique swipe at the United States and some European countries that have put pressure on embattled President Hosni Mubarak to step down. "China advocates that Egyptian affairs should be determined by the Egyptian people, and should not face outside interference," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a regular press briefing. "We believe Egypt has the wisdom and ability to find the proper solution and get through this difficult time," he added. Beijing's stance reflects its reluctance to criticise authoritarian governments in the developing world and its long-held policy of denouncing foreign interference in domestic affairs, especially external criticism of Chinese policies. Spokesman Ma also called for stability in the region, saying China recognised that the country's crisis had broader security implications. "Egypt is an important country in (the) Arab (region) and Africa. Egyptian stability concerns the entire region's peace and stability," Ma said, adding that China supported Egypt's efforts to maintain stability and resume social order. China's tightly controlled state-run media has reported on the unrest in Egypt but has scrubbed public commentary on its political origins from micro-blogs, wary that calls for reform in the Arab world's most populous nation could ripple into China.