Ministry urges US to keep its word

The United States is going back on its word and undermining its credibility by announcing trade measures against China, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday.

"When it comes to international relations, a country undermines and squanders its credibility by willfully changing its attitude and going back on its word," Hua said at a daily news conference.

The US "will impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China containing industrially significant technology, including those related to the 'Made in China 2025' program", among other measures, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the White House.

The announcement came just ahead of US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross's visit to China, which starts Saturday. The statement goes against the consensus the two countries reached in Washington and jointly announced earlier in May, Hua said, urging the US to keep its word and work with China according to the spirit demonstrated in the joint announcement.

"China does not want, but is not afraid of, a trade war," Hua said. "China will surely take resolute and powerful steps to safeguard its legitimate rights if the US insists on acting recklessly."

Hua also called for handling trade disputes through talks on an equal basis and in a constructive way, which is "in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both the Chinese and American people, as well as the common aspirations of the international community."