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China will take "all measures necessary" to safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese businesses, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said in response to the US' export restrictions on a list of 11 Chinese entities. The US has damaged the global trade order, MOFCOM said on Tuesday. 

According to MOFCOM, the US has been abusing the export regulations and weaponizing trade for political purposes. The US is mobilizing state forces to attack foreign enterprises, causing severe damage to world trade and posing a threat to global supply chain safety. 

"It is against the interests of China, and it is against the interests of the US and the world," the MOFCOM statement reads. China is urging the US to stop its wrongdoing and will staunchly protect the legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises. 

On July 20, the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added to the Entity List 11 Chinese companies for alleged human rights violations and abuses in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The BIS claims that the companies have been involved in repression, mass arbitrary detention and forced labor affecting the Muslim minority groups. 

The listed companies are facing new restrictions on access to US items, including commodities and technology.

Global Times