China's foreign minister says US pressure on Huawei is pure economic bullying

[BEIJING] The Chinese government's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Wednesday US pressure on Chinese firms such as tech giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is economic bullying and a move to try to prevent the country's development process.

"The use of US power to suppress China's private enterprises, such as Huawei, is typical economic bullying," Mr Wang said in a statement on the website of China's foreign ministry.

Mr Wang, who is the Chinese government's top diplomat and state councillor, also said in another statement that China's door would always be open to the US for trade negotiations, but would not accept any unequal agreements.

The world's two largest economies have escalated tariff increases on each other's imports after talks broke down to resolve their dispute, and the acrimony has intensified since Washington last week blacklisted Chinese telecom equipment and handsets company Huawei.

REUTERS