China vows reciprocal measures against US tariff proposals

Workers are busy assembling electric fans at production lines of Airmate’s factory in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. Airmate focuses on small home appliances that will be exported to Europe and the United States. [Photo: IC]

BEIJING - China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the US tariff proposals and is ready to take counter measures on US products, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

A MOC spokesperson made the statement after the US government announced the proposed list of products subject to additional tariffs, which covers Chinese exports worth $50 billion with a suggested tariff rate of 25 percent.

"Disregarding strong representations by China, the United States announced the tariff proposals that are completely unfounded, a typical unilateralist and protectionist practice that China strongly condemns and firmly opposes," according to the statement.

The US side published the list in disregard of the mutually-beneficial and win-win nature of the China-US trade and economic cooperation in the past 40 years, the appeal of the Chinese and American business communities and the interests of consumers, it said.

The move went against the interests of China, the United States and the world at large, seriously violating the basic principles and spirit of the World Trade Organization, according to the spokesperson.

China plans to immediately bring relevant US practice to the dispute settlement body of the WTO, and is ready to take counter measures on US products with equal force and scale that will be published in the coming days.

"We have the confidence and ability to respond to any US trade protectionist measures," the spokesperson said.

Statement of the Chinese Embassy in the United States on the Announcement of the Proposed Tariff List on Chinese Products Under Section 301 Action

The Chinese side strongly condemns and firmly opposes the unfounded Section 301 investigation and the proposed list of products and tariff increases based on the investigation.

Such unilateralistic and protectionist action has gravely violated fundamental principles and values of the WTO. It serves neither China’s interest, nor US interest, even less the interest of the global economy.

As the Chinese saying goes, it is only polite to reciprocate. The Chinese side will resort to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and take corresponding measures of equal scale and strength against US products in accordance with Chinese law.

We hope that the US side, with sense and long-term picture in mind, refrain from going further down the wrong path.(Xinhua/chinadaily.com.cn)