China is advancing the probe into PVH Corp, an American clothing company that owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, under the unreliable entity list framework, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

"We will fully safeguard PVH's rights to make statements and submit defenses during the investigation process," said He Yadong, the spokesman for the ministry, at a news conference.

The company is suspected of boycotting cotton products from China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region without any factual basis and terminating normal transactions with Chinese companies, as well as other organizations and individuals, the ministry said in a previous statement in late September.

The country has been exercising prudence when handling issues related to the unreliable entity list, which targets only a few foreign entities that disrupt market rules and violate Chinese laws, He said.

China introduced the unreliable entity list system in September 2020 to protect its national interests and business environment, but it was not until February 2023 that the Chinese government first added foreign entities to the list.

"Foreign entities that operate with integrity and abide by the law have no reason to be concerned," He added.

The Chinese government has always welcomed enterprises from around the world to invest and operate in China, being continuously committed to providing a stable, fair and predictable business environment for law-abiding and compliant foreign businesses, He said.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn