BEIJING (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry declined on Thursday to comment on whether or not Qualcomm Inc's QCOM.O deal to buy NXP Semiconductors NXPI.O had been approved, after a deadline for approving the deal passed without an announcement, and with Qualcomm having said it would drop its bid for the Dutch firm.

The ministry also said during a press briefing that the matter was an anti-monopoly issue and not related to U.S.-China trade frictions.