SMIC Photo: VCG

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday criticized a reported move by the US government to add dozens of Chinese companies to a trade blacklist, calling the move, if true, yet another example of the US using its state power to crack down on Chinese firms; vowing to take "necessary measures" to protect Chinese businesses.

"If the news you mentioned is true, it will be another example that the US is using its state power to suppress Chinese companies. China firmly opposes it," Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the ministry, said when asked about reports of the move at a routine press briefing in Beijing.

Citing unnamed sources, Reuters reported on Friday that the US Department of Commerce is expected to add as many as 80 additional Chinese companies, including chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., to its so-called entity list, claiming the firms have ties with the Chinese military, which has been denied by some Chinese firms.

Wang said at the press briefing that the US has regularly politicized economic and trade issues, which is both against its self-proclaimed "market economy" and "fair competition principles" in addition to international trade rules; it hurts both Chinese and US companies' interests and brings nothing but major disruptions to bilateral and global technological exchanges and global industrial chains.

China US Photo: VCG

"We urge the US to stop its wrongful actions of unreasonably suppressing foreign companies. China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," the spokesperson said.

When asked about a separate reported US move to ban the use of Chinese power equipment on US military bases, Wang said that China firmly opposes that the US uses so-called "national security" to baselessly smear Chinese firms and blatantly crack down on Chinese firms without any real evidence.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that the US Energy Department is issuing an order that aims to ban the use of Chinese power equipment at US military bases, citing national security risks.

"We urge the US to stop its wrongful actions of politicizing economic and trade issues; stop generalizing the 'national security' concept and cracking down on foreign firms," Wang said.