China hopes relevant countries will be open for fair competition instead of using the "overcapacity" narrative as an excuse to justify protectionism, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

Lin said the notion that China's overcapacity in new energy sectors harms the global market is "a complete fallacy."

Those who spread that narrative to justify protectionism have nothing to gain from it, but will only destabilize and disrupt industrial and supply chains, hinder global green transition, and curb the growth of emerging sectors, he said at a regular press briefing.

China's leading edge in new energy is gained through strong performance and full-on market competition, not government subsidies, Lin said, adding that China's new energy sector is a steady source of high-quality capacity for the world and bound to be a key contributor to global green development.

China has repeatedly stressed that the capacity issue should be viewed in line with the principles of market economy, and assessed in the context of economic globalization, global division of labor and market dynamics, he added.

"China has been and will always be open to industrial cooperation. We hope relevant countries will keep an open mind, embrace fair competition, contribute to a world-class, market-oriented and law-based environment for trade and economic cooperation, and work with China for mutual benefit and inclusive economic globalization that benefits all," Lin said.