China opposes politicizing trade, tech issues: spokeswoman

China opposes overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing technology and trade issues, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Mao made the remarks in response to a question about reports that the U.S. government had instructed federal agencies to stop using artificial intelligence tools developed by Chinese company DeepSeek.

"China always opposes overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing sic-tech and trade issues. We will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Mao said.

The value-added output of China's equipment industry grew 7.1 percent year on year in the first three quarters, maintaining a positive development trend, Wang Weiming, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said in Beijing on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Wang said the equipment industry's role as a cornerstone of the economy was further consolidated during the period.

"In the first three quarters, the value-added output of the equipment industry grew 7.1 percent year on year, contributing 26.6 percent to overall industrial growth. The high-end equipment supply capacity has been enhanced. The output of industrial robots, numerical control machine tools, and new energy vehicles increased 29.1 percent, 13.5 percent, and 11 percent year on year, respectively. Meanwhile, the country's shipbuilding completion volume rose 50.7 percent year on year," Wang said.

"Next, we will continue to coordinate efforts to expand demand, optimize supply, and strengthen the industrial ecosystem to further consolidate and enhance the competitive advantages of the equipment industry," he added.