[Cui and Sullivan] discussed China-US relations and other related topics. Ambassador Cui reiterated China's position on the economic and trade differences between the two countries. He urged the US side to abandon its unilateral and protectionist practices and terminate the 301 investigation as early as possible, and seek a solution through dialogues and consultations with the Chinese side," the embassy’s statement read.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing planned to resort to the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in order to find a solution to the ongoing Beijing-Washington tensions in the sphere of trade.
READ MORE: Trump's Anti-China Tariffs Will ‘Disrupt' US Companies' Supply Chains
In response, China’s State Council has decided to introduce 25-percent tariffs on more than 100 goods imported from the United States as a response measure, state media reported.
On March 22, US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum to impose new tariffs on imports from China. This measure was adopted following the investigation into China’s trade policies, including the alleged $600 million theft of US intellectual property rights annually, which was carried out under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act. This provision allows Washington to take unilateral action against foreign governments that violate international trade agreements or damage US trade interests.
