File photo shows the entrance to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li He)

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's commerce ministry on Thursday expressed serious concerns over India's crackdowns on Chinese companies and related apps, saying the behaviors have damaged legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

"We noticed that foreign investors, including Chinese companies, are increasingly worried about the investment environment in India," said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), at a press conference when answering questions regarding the ban of Chinese apps by India.

"We hope India will improve its business climate and treat all foreign investors, including Chinese companies, equally, transparently and without discrimination," he said.

Noting that China and India are important economic partners, Gao said he hoped that India would take concrete measures to maintain a good momentum for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

In 2021, bilateral trade surged 43 percent year on year to hit 125.7 billion U.S. dollars, according to the MOC.