[The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answers a reporter’s question on the US sanctioning Chinese companies for stealing trade secrets] The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answers a reporter’s question on the US sanctioning Chinese companies for stealing trade secrets. Question: On October 19, local time, the United States imposed sanctions on five Chinese companies based on the "Protecting U.S. Intellectual Property Rights Act" for stealing trade secrets. What is China’s comment on this? A: We have noticed the relevant situation. The United States is hyping up the so-called "stealing of trade secrets" issue, stigmatizing Chinese companies and imposing sanctions, which seriously harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and is egregious in nature. China firmly opposes this. The rapid development of China's artificial intelligence enterprises is due to long-term in-depth basic research and continuous investment in innovation. It is the result of insisting on independent scientific and technological innovation and open cooperation. It is beneficial to China, the United States and the world, and has nothing to do with the so-called "stealing of commercial secrets." China urges the United States to correctly view the great development achieved by Chinese enterprises, stop smearing and suppressing it, create a market environment for fair competition, and safeguard the overall situation of China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation. China urges the United States to correct its wrong practices as soon as possible, otherwise it will take necessary measures to respond and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.