The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce answered questions from reporters regarding the announcement by the Office of the United States Trade Representative to launch a 301 investigation into 16 economies, including China, on the grounds of "overcapacity"

A reporter asked: On March 11th Eastern Time, the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced that it would launch a 301 investigation into 16 economies, including China, on the grounds of "overcapacity". What is China's comment on this?

Answer: China has noticed that the US has launched a 301 investigation on 16 economies, including China, under the pretext of "overcapacity". The 301 investigation is a typical unilateral act that seriously undermines the international economic and trade order. The WTO expert group has already ruled that the tariff measures taken under the 301 investigation violate WTO rules.

China has repeatedly clarified its position on the so-called "overcapacity theory" of the United States. The world economy has long become an inseparable whole, with production and consumption being global, requiring supply-demand matching and regulation from a global perspective. If production in each country can only meet domestic market demand, there will be no cross-border trade. The US cannot narrowly define production capacity exceeding domestic demand as "overcapacity" and label it as such. The US has no right to unilaterally determine whether its trading partners have "overcapacity" and take unilateral restrictive measures through the 301 investigation. The Chinese side has noticed that the US has launched a 301 investigation on 60 economies, including China, under the pretext of "not prohibiting the import of forced labor products". The Chinese side is conducting analysis and evaluation.

China urges the US to correct its erroneous practices and return to the correct track of resolving issues through dialogue and consultation. China will closely monitor the progress of the situation, reserve the right to take all necessary measures, and resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests.