BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday expressed "grave concerns" about an executive memorandum signed by U.S. President Donald Trump to direct a trade representative to examine the so-called China's intellectual property practices. "We hope that the U.S. trade representative respects facts and acts with prudence," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
If the U.S. side fails to respect basic facts and multilateral trade rules, and takes measures that harm bilateral economic and trade relations, "China will definitely not sit by, but take all appropriate measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," it said.
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday directed the U.S. trade representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to examine the so-called China's intellectual property practices, despite worries about potential harms to China-U.S. trade ties.
"Ambassador Lighthizer, you are empowered to consider all available options at your disposal," Trump said at the White House before signing an executive memorandum authorizing Lighthizer to examine the issue. Full story
Commentary: America's undying passion for unilateralism
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- In another show of his tougher trade stance, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday asked his top trade adviser to determine whether to start a so-called Section 301 investigation into China's trade practices and policies.
Section 301, a trade tool frequently used by Washington before the World Trade Organization (WTO) came into existence, allows the U.S. president to unilaterally impose hefty tariffs and other trade limits on partners deemed to possess unfair advantages. Full story
