BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. side should respect the market economy and the principles of fair competition and stop unjustifiably suppressing foreign companies, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

　　Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing after TikTok's CEO's appearance at a U.S. congressional hearing on Thursday.

　　"We have also noted the comments made by TikTok," Mao said in response to a relevant query, noting that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting data privacy and security under the law.

　　The Chinese government has never and will never ask companies or individuals to collect or provide data, information, and intelligence located in foreign countries in a manner that violates local laws, she said.

　　"The U.S. government has yet to provide any evidence that TikTok poses a threat to its national security, but has repeatedly conducted presumption of guilt and unreasonably suppressed relevant companies," Mao said, pointing out that some members of the U.S. Congress have suggested that seeking to ban TikTok is political persecution.

　　The U.S. side should earnestly respect the market economy and the principles of fair competition, stop unjustifiably suppressing foreign companies, and provide an open, just, and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies to invest and operate in the United States, the spokesperson noted.