ISTANBUL

China said Wednesday that “there is no way out of protectionism,” underscoring that “trade wars and tariff wars” bring no benefit to any party involved.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products exported to the US.

“China has always believed that there is no way out of protectionism and there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars,” Mao Ning told a press conference, noting that this is the belief of the international community.

“The US's actions seriously violated WTO (World Trade Organization) rules, seriously damaged the rules-based multilateral trading system, and were not conducive to solving the problem,” the spokeswoman added, underscoring that Beijing will protect its “legitimate rights and interests.”

Meanwhile, the spokeswoman also expressed her wishes for cooperation between Washington and Beijing, urging for solving problems through diplomacy.

“China believes that the concerns of both sides should be resolved through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect,” Mao Ning said.

“China-US trade is equal. If we cooperate, we can achieve mutual benefit and win-win results; but if we continue to put pressure on China, China will resolutely counterattack,” she concluded.