China firmly opposes the protectionist step of the European Union (EU) to limit the participation of Chinese firms and products in major public procurement tenders involving medical devices, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

This statement from China came after the European Commission last Friday opted to restrict participation by Chinese businesses and products in public procurement tenders in the medical device sector under the EU's International Procurement Instrument.

A spokesperson with the commerce ministry urged the EU to rectify its wrong approach and pledged measures to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

The EU had continuously set barriers against Chinese firms in areas including public procurement and investment, according to a probe conducted by the ministry that concluded in January.

Despite China's consistent demonstration of goodwill and sincerity through bilateral dialogues, the EU has persisted in deploying unilateral measures and erecting new protectionist barricades that not only harm Chinese enterprises but also severely distort fair competition, the spokesperson said.

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, China is ready to proceed from the broader interests of bilateral economic and trade relations to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both sides, properly address trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and stabilize confidence and expectations of cooperation between Chinese and European enterprises, the spokesperson added.