Q: The United States has published a proposed list of products imported from China that could be subject to additional tariffs. What is your comment?

A: On April 3, EST, the Office of the US Trade Representative released a proposed list of products imported from China that could be subject to additional tariffs pursuant to Section 301 investigation. The Spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce has made clear China's stern position on this issue.

I must stress again that the US side released the proposed tariff list in disregard of China's stern representations and on the basis of no facts. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes such a move which is typical of unilateralism and trade protectionism.

The US side neglected the mutually beneficial nature of the 40-year-old China-US economic cooperation. It turned a deaf ear to the voices of the business communities and ignored the interests of consumers from the two sides. Such a move is in the national interest of neither the US nor China, and it is bad for the global economy.

What the US did severely violates the basic principles and spirit of the WTO. The Chinese side will immediately refer this wrong move by the US side to the WTO dispute settlement system. Meanwhile, in accordance with the relevant stipulations of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, we will take proportionate measures of the same intensity and scale on US products. These measures will be announced soon. We have the confidence and capability to counter any measure of trade protectionism taken by the United States.