China's commerce ministry said Wednesday the country's anti-dumping move on brandy imported from the European Union (EU) is a "legitimate trade remedy measure and entirely in accordance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules."

The decision to take anti-dumping measures against EU brandy imports, which was announced Tuesday, was based on legal investigations in response to a request from the domestic industry, the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the ministry noted that the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles was not launched at the industry's request. Furthermore, the EU move has been strongly opposed by relevant EU member states and their industries.

The EU's action seriously lacked factual and legal basis and clearly violated WTO rules, which was a practice of protectionism in the name of trade remedies, the ministry said.

To defend the legitimate rights and interests of China's electric vehicle industry, the country has lodged strong representation at the WTO and appealed to the WTO dispute settlement over relevant anti-subsidy measures, it said.

China has always opposed the abuse of trade remedy measures, the ministry said, urging the EU to immediately correct its wrong practices and work with China to safeguard the overall economic and trade situation between the two sides.