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.

Beijing and Europe’s tit-for-tat trade restrictions are largely symbolic but demonstrate the worsening of their ties ahead of a joint summit.

China will impose some reciprocal curbs on medical-device procurement for companies based in the European Union, adding tensions between the two major trading partners just as Beijing seeks to shore up ties while it fights a trade war with the US.