China slams U.S. restrictions on bilateral trade and investment

China's business community strongly opposes the United States overstretching the concept of national security and hindering bilateral economic and trade exchanges, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said on Monday.

A spokesperson for the CCPIT made the remarks in response to a query about the "America First Investment Policy" memorandum.

The United States is not only restricting investment from China in sectors such as technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy and raw materials through security reviews but also using economic sanctions and financial audits to strengthen controls over investment in China in terms of industry scope, investment types and funding sources, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson warned that if implemented, these measures would severely affect normal business operations, undermine international economic and trade order, and disrupt the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to respect the laws of market economy and the principle of fair competition, clarify the boundaries of national security in economic and trade fields, and lift restrictions on two-way investments between China and the United States, so as to create a sound environment for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between the two countries' business communities.

According to an "America First Investment Policy" memorandum signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, the United States said it will "use all necessary legal instruments" to restrict China-affiliated persons from investing in U.S. "technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials or other strategic sectors."

(With input from Xinhua)