China urges the United States to discard its zero-sum mentality, correct its wrongdoings, return to the correct path of the multilateral trading system, and work with other countries to address respective concerns through consultations on an equal footing, a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday.

Spokesperson He Yongqian made the remarks at a regular press conference when responding to a question on the U.S. tariff hikes on steel and aluminum imports.

The U.S. move is a typical manifestation of unilateralism and trade protectionism, He said, noting that many countries have clearly expressed their opposition, and there are also strong oppositions within the United States.

In fact, a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel ruled as early as 2022 that the U.S. Section 232 tariffs violated WTO rules. However, the United States has not only maintained its existing Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, but has also further increased tariffs on aluminum products, seriously harming the rights and interests of other countries, seriously undermining the rules-based multilateral trading system, and causing an impact on the global supply chain, according to the spokesperson.