Beijing warns countries against signing trade deals with US that hurt Chinese interests

China firmly opposes any country entering into trade agreements with the United States that compromise Chinese interests in exchange for the so-called tariff relief, said the Ministry of Commerce.

China will not accept it and will take firm countermeasures to protect its legitimate rights and interests if such a situation occurs, a ministry spokesperson warned in a statement on late Saturday, responding to a media query about recent US trade talks with other economies.

The commerce official said that the US has been pressuring its trade partners to accept the so-called reciprocal tariffs since April, a typical example of unilateral bullying that seriously undermines the multilateral trading system and disrupts the normal order of international trade. China has consistently and firmly opposed such actions.

The ministry said China welcomes efforts by other countries to address trade disputes with the US through consultations based on equality, and calls on all parties to uphold fairness and justice, stand on the right side of history, and firmly safeguard international trade rules and the multilateral trading system.

"It has been proven that only by steadfastly upholding its principles and stance can a country genuinely safeguard its legitimate rights," the spokesperson added.