China made the remark at a time when the US Federal Commission on Thursday voted to advance a proposed ban on equipment from Chinese companies deemed national security threats.

"I answered a similar question yesterday. China firmly opposes this. I want to stress that till this day, the US side is still abusing state power by citing national security as an excuse to crack down on Chinese companies without providing any proof.

"This typical and unveiled economic and technological bullying is a flagrant denial of market economy principles the US claims to champion. It also exposes how hypocritical the US is in touting the so-called fair competition," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a press briefing.

"We once again urge the US to stop the wrong practice of abusing national security and politicizing economic issues, and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for the normal operation of Chinese companies in the US. China will continue to support relevant Chinese companies in upholding their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with law," he said.

Relationship between the US and China has deteriorated in recent times over numerous issues including COVID-19.