China says must ‘counter-attack’ latest US tariffs

By Agence France-Presse

China slapped retaliatory tariffs on $16 billion in US goods on Thursday as Washington imposed similar levies, saying Beijing had to “counter-attack” as trade tensions persist.

The US moves were “clearly suspected” of violating World Trade Organization rules, the commerce ministry said in a statement, adding that it would file a lawsuit against them under the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism.

The official Xinhua news agency, citing the government tariff commission, said later that Beijing had imposed tit-for-tat tariffs at the same time as the US duties came into force.