BEIJING, March 27 — China’s commerce ministry has initiated two counter-probes into US practices that hamper the flow of Chinese products into the United States, it said today, refraining from immediate retaliation to US measures announced earlier this month.

A trade truce between China and the US has held since US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year. Trump said earlier this week that he will visit Beijing in mid-May, as part of Washington’s broader effort to reset relations in the Asia-Pacific region. The two Chinese investigations — scheduled to conclude within six months, though they could be extended — are in response to two US Section 301 investigations against China, the ministry said in a ⁠statement, describing them as reciprocal.

China to ⁠investigate supply chain disruption

The investigations will look into ⁠US trade practices and measures that “disrupt ⁠global supply ⁠and industrial chains” and “hinder trade in green products”, the ministry said in separate statements.

These practices and measures restrict or prohibit both the entry of Chinese products ⁠to the US and US exports of high-tech products to China, it said. The US also implemented measures that limit the exports of green products from the US and slow down the deployment of new energy projects, which might harm Chinese companies’ interests, the ministry said.

Based on the findings of ⁠the investigations, China will take corresponding measures to defend its rights and interests, it said. Earlier this month, the US launched trade investigations into excess ⁠industrial capacity in 16 trading partners, including China, and into forced labour. During bilateral trade ⁠talks ⁠in Paris, China expressed concern about the investigations and lodged representations. In talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade Organisation meeting in Cameroon yesterday, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao again expressed concern, but also said China was willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation. — Reuters

 Malay Mail – Money