China on Tuesday warned the US that it will take all appropriate measures to protect the country's legal interests if the latter jeopardizes the two nations’ trading ties.

“We urge the US side to respect the facts and act prudently. If US ignores the facts and disrespects multilateral trade rules, thus jeopardizing the two nations’ trading ties, China will not sit on its hands and will take all appropriate measures to protect its own legitimate rights,” said a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

China’s remarks comes at a time when US president Donald Trump asked his top trade adviser to determine whether to start a so-called Section 301 investigation into China’s trade practices and policies on Monday. The section, if initiated, will allow Trump to unilaterally take all “appropriate” actions, including retaliation, to obtain the removal of any act or practice of the Chinese government that is deemed “unfair.”

Trump on Monday local time signed a presidential memorandum authorizing a probe into allegations that China has been "practicing intellectual infringement."

“Section 301 has been denounced by other nations for its unilateralism since it came out. The US has made promises to the international society, noting that it will execute the section in a way that accords with WTO rules. The US should keep its promises and not become a destructive force that undermines multilateral rules,” said the spokesperson.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also commented on the issue. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Aug. 14 that a trade war will lead nowhere and neither side will win.

The inking of the memorandum is believed to have been set aside for a week until the UN Security Council voted to impose new sanctions on the DPRK following recent missile tests, on which Washington has called for Beijing’s support, according to CGTN.