China is ready to take countermeasures in response to the US threat of an escalating trade war, Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

In the statement, China reaffirmed its position that the differences should be resolved through dialogue on the basis of treating each other as equals and living up to their promises.

In response to the America’s additional 25 percent tariffs on Chinese imports of $ 200 billion US dollars, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also urges the US to rationally deal with trade frictions instead of blackmailing China impulsively at a daily news briefing on Thursday.

Geng also reiterated that China always keeps its door open to the dialogue on China-US relations, as long as the talks are built on mutual respect and trust. 

Unilateral threats and pressures from the US on trade concessions would only be counterproductive and hurt itself.

(Compiled by Bai Yuanqi)