BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Tuesday urged the United States to create a fair, just, and stable legal and policy environment for Chinese companies.

This came hours after the US Department of Commerce announced activation of denial of export privileges against leading Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp for alleged violations of the Export Administration Regulations.

"The MOC will closely track the case and is ready to take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, " said a MOC spokesperson.

ZTE has extensive trade and investment cooperation with hundreds of US companies, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the United States, the spokesperson said.

"China has consistently asked Chinese companies to comply with the laws and policies of host countries and manage their businesses in line with laws and regulations," said the spokesperson.

An official statement from ZTE said Tuesday the company is aware of activation of the denial order, and "is communicating with relevant parties proactively in order to respond accordingly."