BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the latest cybersecurity package rolled out by the European Commission aimed at forcibly de-risking supply chains in the mobile networks, which some commentators say targets China.

Guo Jiakun, the spokesperson, said Chinese companies are never a security threat to European countries as they have long been conducting lawful operation in Europe and are law-abiding and high-quality providers for the EU's telecom and digital sector.

He said that forcefully limiting or banning companies from the market without any evidence and based on non-technical standards "seriously violates market principles and fair competition."

This act of protectionism is yet another example of turning normal cooperation to political and security issues, he said, adding that attempts to arbitrarily intervene in the market and violate economic rules don't make one country safer but pay huge price.

"Facts prove that in a handful of countries, phasing out quality, safe and secure Chinese telecom equipment not only stifles digital and cyberspace advancement, but also causes huge economic loss," Guo said.

The European Commission dismissed the sheer fact that Chinese companies have provided secure and high-quality products, and that China and the EU have sound foundation and potential for cooperation in digital network industry, but used security as a pretext for political manipulation, the spokesperson said.

"This not only gravely hinders the EU's technological progress and economic growth, but also tarnishes its reputation for an open market and saps foreign companies' confidence in investing in the EU," he said. "We urge the EU to stop pursuing the wrong path of protectionism."

China will do what is necessary to defend Chinese companies' lawful rights and interests, Guo added. ■