The Chinese government announced Thursday it strongly protests the US sanctions imposed on 12 of its firms, according to Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua.

"The US has overstretched the concept of national security and imposed sanctions arbitrarily," Commerce Ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting told a news conference.

"This action seriously lacks a factual basis, and its procedures are very opaque," she said, according to Xinhua.

She added that the sanctions undermine the safety of global industrial and supply chains, as well as global economic recovery.

The US Commerce Department announced Wednesday its Bureau of Industry and Security added a total of 27 foreign entities and individuals to the blacklist amid their activities against the US national security and foreign policy interests.

While 12 of those are located in China, rest are in Japan, Pakistan, and Singapore, and another entity is based in Russia.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said Wednesday in a statement Washington's actions will prevent the diversion of American technologies to China's and Russia’s military advancement as well as to Pakistan’s nuclear activities and ballistic missile program.

"Global trade and commerce should support peace, prosperity, and good-paying jobs, not national security risks," she said./aa