BEIJING - China opposes the United States' act of politicizing and weaponizing tech and trade issues, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.

Guo's remarks came after the US Justice Department said that two Chinese nationals were charged with sending advanced AI chips made by Nvidia to China in violation of US export restrictions.

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"China opposes the US politicizing tech and trade issues and using them as weapons to maliciously blockade and go after China. The United States should earnestly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals," Guo said.