China on Tuesday denounced a US decision to take it to the World Trade Organisation over complaints of widespread piracy and counterfeiting of US goods.

Customers look at DVDs displayed at a shop in Beijing April 10, 2007.[Reuters]

The Bush administration, under pressure to get tougher on trade, announced separate cases against China at the WTO over pirated copies of music and movies, and for placing market access barriers against US companies offering legitimate products.

"China expressed great regret and strong dissatisfaction at the decision of the United States to file WTO cases against China over intellectual property rights and access to the Chinese publication market," China Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Xinpei said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.

"The Chinese government's attitude towards intellectual property rights protection has always been resolute, and its achievements obvious to all," the statement said.

"This runs against the consensus reached between the two countries' leaders as to developing bilateral trade relations and properly handling trade problems."

It said the action would "seriously damage the two countries' established cooperation and bring an unfavorable impact on bilateral trade."

The US move came as congressional anger over last year's record $232 billion US trade deficit with China hampers efforts to win renewal of trade promotion authority, which the White House needs to finish negotiations on the Doha round of world trade talks.

US Trade Representative Susan Schwab told reporters on Monday two requests for dispute settlement consultations -- the first steps in bringing a complaint at the WTO -- should not be viewed as "hostile" and denied the two countries risked slipping into a trade war.

Schwab said that the US remained open to a negotiated settlement without going through the WTO, which could take 18 months or more, but added that inadequate IPR was costing US firms and workers "billions of dollars each year."

China defends its record on fighting piracy, saying it is a developing country and needs time.

"It's not a sensible move for the US government to file such a complaint," China's intellectual property chief Tian Lipu told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"By doing so, the United States has ignored the Chinese government's immense efforts and great achievements in strengthening IPR protection and tightening enforcement of its copyright laws," Tian said.