China on Friday criticized moves by a US congressional committee to encourage reporting on scientific cooperation with China, warning that such actions undermine normal exchanges and will ultimately harm US innovation.

Photo: CCTV

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing in response to a question on US actions targeting China-related scientific cooperation.

The US House Select Committee on China has set up a "whistleblower" email on its website, urging American scholars, researchers and university staff to report scientific cooperation involving entities linked to China's defense and industrial base.

"This shows the so-called 'select committee' has reached a frenzied level in suppressing and containing China," Mao Ning said. "In recent years the US side has overstretched the concept of national security, deliberately undermined normal China-US scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation, and vigorously persecuted Chinese students and scholars.

"Such actions will only weaken US innovation and ultimately backfire."

(Compiled by intern Song Wanlin)