China responds to US moves against Taobao

Zhang Yong, Alibaba's CEO, speaks at a launch ceremony of 'Taobao Creation Festival' in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, June 30, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China has vowed to resolve trade issues with the United States through "friendly negotiation" after a major Chinese online shopping portal was officially labeled a "notorious market" by the US.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the essence of China-US trade is "mutually beneficial", and China hopes the two countries will work together to ensure smooth and healthy development of bilateral trade.

When asked to comment on the United States' move to blacklist Chinese e-commerce platform, Taobao.com, Hua told a daily news conference on Thursday that China hopes the two countries will work out problems occurring in bilateral trade through friendly negotiation.

Both countries should provide a fair and just environment for normal and mutually beneficial cooperation among companies, she said.

The Office of the US Trade Representative included Alibaba Group's online shopping platform Taobao.com on its 2016 list of "notorious markets", saying it sells a "large volume of allegedly counterfeit and pirated goods".

The USTR took Alibaba off the blacklist in 2012, but several US trade groups successfully sought to get it reinstated, Associated Press reported.