The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office issued a statement on the same day saying that according to President Trump’s instructions, U.S. Trade Representative Lite Shizzle formally submitted this consultation request to the WTO on the same day.
According to the rules of the WTO, the negotiation is the first link in the trade dispute resolution mechanism. If the consultation fails to reach a satisfactory result, the party may file a lawsuit before the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body will be established to conduct the trial.
Trump signed a memorandum on the 22nd, based on the report on China's '301 investigation' published by the US Trade Representative's Office, which instructed the relevant authorities to impose restrictions on China, including the large-scale tariff collection on goods imported from China, and restrictions on Chinese companies’ U.S. investment in mergers and acquisitions.
The spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China stated that the United States disregards the fact that the Chinese side has strengthened the protection of intellectual property rights, ignores the rules of the WTO and ignores the voices of the vast numbers of industry players. It is typical of unilateralism and trade protectionism. The Chinese side firmly opposes it. Under the circumstances, China will not sit idly by its own legitimate rights and interests. We are fully prepared to firmly defend our legitimate interests.