"China's door for negotiations is always open, and China is confident and capable of defending its national interests,” said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in response to Washington's decision to slap tariffs on Chinese imports worth 50 billion US dollars.

The White House on Tuesday announced that the US will slap a 25-percent tariff on a list of goods imported from China, which would be revealed by June 15.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday urged the US to keep its words and meet China halfway in line with the spirit of a recent joint statement.

Meanwhile, a US delegation arrived in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon to continue negotiations with Chinese side on implementing the two countries' recent consensus on trade, according to a statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.