China reacts to Trump’s intellectual property probe

Yuri Gripas | Reuters

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (R) and China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang arrive at the U.S. – China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue to discuss bilateral economic and trade issues in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2017.

China said on Tuesday that it would take actions to defend its interests if the United States damages trade ties after President Donald Trump authorized an inquiry into China’s alleged theft of intellectual property.

The United States should respect objective facts, act prudently, and not destroy principles of multilateralism, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

The world’s second-largest economy has been continuously strengthening administrative and judicial protections for intellectual property, the statement added.