China opposes U.S. listing certain Chinese firms as "military companies"

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the U.S. Department of Defense's move to list certain Chinese firms as "military companies," the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

In disregard of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and market principles, the U.S. has generalized the concept of national security, abused state power, and made groundless accusations against China's military-civilian integration strategy to suppress Chinese enterprises unjustifiably, the ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. move has seriously disrupted the international economic and trade order and undermined the stability of global industrial and supply chains, the statement noted.

China urges the U.S. to respect the facts and rules, immediately stop its wrong practices, and provide Chinese firms with fair, just and non-discriminatory treatment.

The statement added that China would closely monitor the situation's development and take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Defense released a list of companies it labeled as "Chinese military companies," including Chinese tech powerhouse Tencent and leading battery maker CATL. Both companies have dismissed the designations as a "mistake."