U.S. urged to stop smearing and suppressing Chinese companies

(ECNS) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it opposes the U.S.’ overstretching the concept of national security to hobble foreign companies and abusing state power to disrupt normal market rules and order.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks at a press conference when asked about her comment on a report that the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted the Undersea Cable Control Act to eliminate the availability to foreign adversaries of goods and technologies capable of supporting undersea cables and for other purposes.

Reports from Western media, citing anonymous sources, say that the U.S. has thwarted the Chinese company HMN Tech’s bid for several projects, including those related to undersea cables in recent years.

The spokesperson noted that the pursuit of “competitive edge” does not legitimize bad behavior, adding that it does not mean one can break the rules, or even falsely accuse others of “spying” in order to justify one’s wrongful behavior.

She stressed that the Chinese government always encourages its companies to engage in international investment and cooperation in accordance with market principles, international rules and local laws. 

The U.S. needs to earnestly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition and stop smearing and suppressing Chinese companies, she added.