BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday urged Australia to abandon ideological bias and provide an environment of fair competition for Chinese companies.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a routine press briefing when asked to comment on media reports that Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne had reiterated keeping Chinese telecoms giant Huawei out of Australia's 5G network infrastructure even if the United States softens its stance on Huawei.

China expressed grave concern over this statement, Lu said.

He said the Chinese government has consistently encouraged Chinese companies to carry out economic cooperation overseas in accordance with international rules and local laws, and had never supported any enterprises to engage in activities that harm national security of other countries.

Instead of setting obstacles under various pretexts and taking discriminatory practices, the Australian side should facilitate cooperation between enterprises from both countries, he said.

When asked whether a test on imported coal taken by China was related with recent tension between China and Australia due to issues including 5G infrastructure, Lu said it was "completely normal" for China to take such a test.

"Chinese customs have carried out inspection and analysis on risks of the imported coal and taken appropriate operations according to laws and regulations," said Lu, adding that it was the Chinese government's duty to maintain the safety and interests of the Chinese people.