China urges US not to 'decouple'

China has urged the United States to uphold its commitment to refrain from "decoupling" with China and to avoid impeding its economic growth, said the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

Responding to concerns raised by some US banks, manufacturing companies and industry associations regarding an executive order signed by the US President Joe Biden in August, which restricts investment in specific areas in China, ministry spokeswoman Shu Jueting said that the US uses the pretext of national security and risk mitigation to limit its companies' investments in China, aiming to create "decoupling" actions in the country.

The commerce official said this approach severely impacts US companies' operational decisions, disrupts the global trade and economic order, and disturbs the security of global industrial and supply chains.

China has previously expressed a stern stance on this matter. The country urges the US to respect market economics and principles of fair competition, remove investment restrictions on China, and create a favorable environment for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, she added.