China firmly opposes any deal at expense of its interests: commerce ministry on U.S. tariffs

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes any deal between the United States and its trading partners at the expense of Chinese interests, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will resolutely take corresponding countermeasures, said the spokesperson in a statement, adding that the country has both the resolve and the capability to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

The spokesperson made the remarks when responding to reports that the United States is preparing to pressure other countries to restrict trade ties with China in exchange for tariff exemptions.

Under the guise of so-called "reciprocity," the United States has been recently arbitrarily imposing tariffs on all its trading partners while pressuring them to engage in so-called "reciprocal tariff" negotiations, said the spokesperson.

"This is essentially using the banner of 'reciprocity' as a pretext to pursue hegemonic politics and unilateral bullying in the field of international economy and trade," the spokesperson said.