China strongly opposes US restrictions on scientific research cooperation with Chinese institutions under the pretext of national security, urging Washington to immediately stop its discriminatory practices, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The ministry made the remarks in response to a media query about the US Department of War's announcement on Monday that certain US universities had terminated their cooperation with entities on the Pentagon's Section 1286 list, which includes a number of Chinese research institutions.

A ministry spokesperson said China has consistently opposed Washington's practice of overstretching the concept of national security, politicizing and weaponizing scientific exchanges and cooperation, and making groundless accusations against Chinese research institutions.

China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its research institutions, the commerce official said in an online statement.

The US measures are essentially aimed at forcing US research institutions to choose sides and deliberately undermining normal scientific cooperation between China and the US, said the spokesperson.

Such actions will only undermine scientific and technological progress and innovation in the US, ultimately harming its own interests. Strengthening scientific research cooperation serves the common interests of both countries, whereas imposing restrictions and pursuing decoupling will only harm both sides, the spokesperson added.

China urged the US to respect facts, follow the global trend of scientific and technological exchanges and immediately stop imposing discriminatory and restrictive measures against Chinese research institutions.