China vows measures to protect interests as additional US tariff hike looms

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate interests, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday, as Washington prepares to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods starting Tuesday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked about a media report stating that China is formulating countermeasures against the proposed U.S. tariff, with U.S. agricultural and food products likely to be targeted.

China firmly opposes the U.S. threat to impose additional tariffs on Chinese products under the pretext of the fentanyl issue, Lin said.

The latest tariff threat from the United States follows a similar 10 percent tariff hike on Chinese goods in February. In response, China imposed additional tariffs on a range of U.S. goods, including imported coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement automobiles and pickup trucks, starting from Feb. 10.