China snubs US discrimination against firms

BEIJING - Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Saturday snubbed a recent US Congress report that accused two Chinese technology firms of threatening US national security.

"The US accusing China of playing the 'Trojan horse' trick is a bit of a Cold War mentality," Chen told reporters after a group interview during the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

"I personally feel it's over the line for the United States to raise the security concern of Huawei and ZTE on whether the two firms have CPC organizations or their relations with the CPC," Chen said.

A report issued last month by the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee advised US companies avoid buying equipment from Huawei and ZTE. The two companies were suspected of utilizing their market access for possible spying.

Huawei and ZTE have denied such allegations, refuting the purpose of the report was to obstruct Chinese IT and communications companies from entering the US market.

Chen asked the US government not to link economic issues with politics.

"There are so many US firms in China, what if the Chinese government question them whether they are Republicans or Democrats or whether they have relations with political parties?" he said.