(Photo: Screenshot of the statement of the Ministry of Commerce) 

Beijing (People's Daily) - China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday the country will immediately counter US tariffs with measures of equivalent scale and force effective.

At the same time, all the economic and trade results achieved in previous consultations will not go into effect, a spokesperson said in a press release by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce late on Friday.

The spokesperson said that China and the US have carried out multiple consultations on trade issues, seeking to settle disputes and achieve win-win results.

However, the US has ignored the consensuses reached by the two sides and flip-flopped, trying to start a trade war, the spokesperson said.

China stands firmly against the US move, which not only harms both sides, but also violates world trade rules, the spokesperson said.

“China does not want a trade war. Yet China has been forced to fight back to safeguard its legitimate benefits in the face of short-sighted decisions by the US,” said the spokesperson.