China's finance ministry said on Sunday it was restricting government purchases of medical devices from the European Union that exceed 45 million yuan ($6.3 million) in value, in retaliation to Brussels' own curbs last month.

China has barred European medical device companies from selling to its government in response to EU trade restrictions.

A European business group in China has criticized Beijing’s retaliatory measures targeting medical device makers from the European Union, saying the move worsens ties between the two economic powers.