China Warns US Against Opening 'Pandora's Box'

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China warns the United States against actions harming trade ties between the two countries, otherwise Washington will face the consequences, the spokesman for the Chinese Commerce Ministry, Gao Feng, said on Thursday.

"We would like to recommend the United States to refrain from any actions which could harm the trade and economic relations between the two countries, otherwise the United States will fall into the pit it is digging for others," Gao said.

"The malicious practices of the United States are like opening Pandora's Box, and there is a danger of triggering a chain reaction that will spread the virus of trade protectionism across the globe," the spokesman emphasized.

The spokesman added in this regard that the Chinese government would begin consultations on countermeasures after Saturday, when the deadline for suggestions and opinions on the issue expires.

READ MORE: China Warns US of 'Serious Consequences and Negative Impact' of Trade War

On March 22, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum to impose new tariffs on imports from China. He noted that the trade action against China could be worth about $60 billion. Along with the new tariff policy, the United States will sue China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over trade law breaches, including its licensing practices, as part of the trade announcement.

The move came following Washington's decision to impose a 25-percent import tax on steel and 10-percent import tax on aluminum. The measure was criticized by US major partners, which accused Trump of excessive protectionism and pledged to impose countermeasures. As a result, Trump authorized exemptions from new metal tariffs for the European Union, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and South Korea until May.