BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the British government's latest decision to ban Chinese companies from the building of 5G networks, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

The discriminatory practice goes against the free trade principles that the British government has always advocated, the ministry's spokesperson Gao Feng told a press conference.

It severely breaches World Trade Organization rules, undermines Chinese investors' confidence in Britain, affects the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, damages Britain's credibility, and undermines its status in the international trade system, Gao added.

Concerning Britain's action, which violates free trade principles, China is evaluating the incident, Gao said. He added that the country will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

Gao urged Britain to adopt concrete measures to correct its wrong decisions with the big picture in mind.

He also called on Britain to take a long-term perspective to provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in Britain, as well as maintain the sound development momentum of economic and trade ties between the two countries.