China strongly opposes U.S. tariff hike: commerce minister

BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly dissatisfied with the United States' decision to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on the grounds of fentanyl-related issues, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks in a letter to Howard Lutnick, the newly appointed U.S. secretary of commerce, congratulating him on taking office.

China and the United States have engaged in extensive, in-depth cooperation on fentanyl control, and significant outcomes have been achieved, Wang said, adding that the unilateral tariff increase imposed by the United States has disrupted normal economic and trade relations between the two countries.

China hopes to address the concerns of each other through equal dialogue and consultation, he said.

Economic and trade relations are a crucial component of China-U.S. relations. As the world's two largest economies, strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States is crucial for the development of both countries and for global economic growth, according to Wang.

Over recent years, the two countries' commerce departments have played an important role in promoting and facilitating bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he said.

China is willing to work with the United States to enhance dialogue, manage differences and promote cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, thereby creating a fair and predictable policy environment for practical cooperation between the business communities of both nations, Wang said.