China opposes any tariff deal made at its expense: commerce ministry

BEIJING -- China firmly opposes any country making trade deals with the United States at the expense of Chinese interests in exchange for so-called "tariff relief," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday.

"If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," said the spokesperson, responding to a media query about recent US trade talks with other economies.

"Since April, the United States has been pushing so-called 'reciprocal tariffs' on its trade partners. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying that seriously undermines the multilateral trading system and disrupts the normal international trade order," the spokesperson said, adding that China has consistently and firmly opposed such practices.

The spokesperson said that China welcomes efforts by other countries to resolve trade differences with the United States through consultations on equal footing, and urges all sides to uphold fairness and justice, remain on the right side of history, and resolutely defend international economic and trade rules as well as the multilateral trading system.

"It is proven that only by firmly defending its principle and position can a country truly protect its legitimate rights," the spokesperson said.