BEIJING - China strongly objects to the US proposal to restrict the use of Chinese connected vehicles, as well as their software and hardware, in the United States, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

A ministry spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media inquiry, emphasizing that the US proposal smears Chinese connected vehicles under the pretext of national security.

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The proposal is one of the US actions that targeted Chinese automobiles in recent years, also including tariff hikes, procurement restrictions and discriminatory subsidy policies, said the spokesperson.

The proposal has no factual basis, violates the principles of the market economy and fair competition, and is a typical act of protectionism, the spokesperson said, adding that it will severely impact China-US cooperation on connected vehicles, disrupt and distort global automotive industrial and supply chains, and harm the interests of US consumers.

It is also a non-market practice that uses government power to interfere with economic and commercial cooperation between enterprises, constituting economic coercion, said the spokesperson.

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"China urges the United States to cease its wrong practice of generalizing national security, immediately lift the relevant restrictions, and end its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies," said the spokesperson.

China will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its companies, the spokesperson added.