Preliminary findings of China's investigation into PVH Corp, a United States clothing company that owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, showed that the company engaged in "improper" conduct related to Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The probe into PVH Corp under the unreliable entity list mechanism is progressing in an orderly and lawful manner, a spokesperson of the ministry said, adding that the ministry plans to meet with PVH again in the near future, and the final investigation results will be made public in accordance with the law.

The company is suspected of boycotting cotton products from Xinjiang 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.

China has always handled the unreliable entities list issue with caution, and has only taken legal action against a small number of foreign entities that have posed a threat to China's national security, the spokesperson said, stressing that law-abiding foreign entities have no reason to be concerned.

The government continues to welcome enterprises from all countries to invest and operate in China, and is committed to providing a stable, fair, and predictable business environment for compliant foreign-invested companies, the spokesperson added.