China will resolutely adopt countermeasures against US 'reciprocal tariffs': commerce ministry

BEIJING -- China firmly opposes the US "reciprocal tariffs" and will resolutely adopt countermeasures to safeguard its rights and interests, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The comments came after the United States announced on Wednesday that it would impose "reciprocal tariffs" on its trading partners.

History shows that increasing tariffs cannot solve the United States' own problems. It harms US interests and endangers global economic development as well as industrial and supply chain stability, according to the spokesperson.

"There is no winner in a trade war, and protectionism leads nowhere," the spokesperson said.

In response to the US claim that it has been disadvantaged in international trade and its move to raise tariffs on all its trading partners under the pretext of "reciprocity," the spokesperson said this approach disregards the balance of interests achieved through many years of multilateral trade negotiations and ignores the fact that the United States has long benefited from international trade.

The United States determined the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" based on subjective and unilateral evaluation, which does not comply with international trade rules, severely damages the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties, and is a typical practice of unilateral bullying, the spokesperson said, adding that many trading partners have expressed strong dissatisfaction with and clear opposition to the US move.

China urges the United States to immediately cancel its unilateral tariff measures and properly resolve differences with its trading partners through equal dialogue, the spokesperson said.