Beijing slams blacklisting of firms

China on Friday criticized the latest United States blacklisting of nine Chinese companies, vowing to take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and support them in safeguarding their own rights and interests in accordance with the law.

The companies, including smartphone maker Xiaomi and State-owned plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, were classified as "Communist Chinese military companies" by the US Department of Defense on Thursday.

China firmly opposes the US President Donald Trump administration's abuse of national power to launch unjustified crackdowns on Chinese companies, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing.

Zhao said some US multinational companies can be categorized as "military-civil fusions", as their business operations and products cover both areas.

"The latest measures again displayed unilateralism, double standards and bullying," he said.

The US action violated the country's self-professed image of championing market competition and international trade rules, interrupted normal trade and investment cooperation between China and the US and dampened foreign investor confidence in the US,Zhao said.

It will end up in damaging the interests of US enterprises and investors, he added.

"This is another example of some US individuals' practice of bringing no good to anyone," he said.

Also on Friday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce urged the US to revoke the decision and create a good environment for Chinese and US companies to carry out normal trade cooperation.

The US restrictions on the companies have no basis, ignore procedural justice, violate basic rules of the market economy and disrupt international financial market order, the spokesperson said in a statement.

WHO expert allowed entry

Also at the briefing, Zhao said China has agreed to the entry of one expert from the World Health Organization's expert team after retesting negative for immunoglobulin M antibodies.

The expert was among two WHO team members who did not board a flight to China after they tested positive for the antibodies in Singapore on Thursday.

On Thursday, 13 WHO scientists arrived in Wuhan, Hubei province and checked into their designated hotel for quarantining, Zhao added.

They will conduct joint research with Chinese scientists on determining the origin of the novel coronavirus, he said, adding that China will continue to maintain contact with the WHO on relevant issues.

China will support and facilitate the WHO experts to carry out international cooperation on origin-tracing of the pandemic, he added.