BEIJING [CHINA]: After US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer formally initiated an investigation into China 's intellectual property practices under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, Chinese Ministry of Commerce has warned United States , saying that "Beijing will take all appropriate measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests". Any US trade protectionism move will surely damage bilateral ties and the interests of companies from both countries," Global Times quoted China's Ministry of Commerce statement.Section 301, once heavily used in the 1980s and the early 1990s, allows the U.S. president to unilaterally impose tariffs or other trade restrictions against foreign countries, thus it has the potential to damage U.S.-China ties. But the United States has rarely used the trade tool since the WTO came into being in 1995.China has urged the United States to objectively evaluate China's progress in protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) and resolve the differences with China through dialogue and consultation. "The United States should treasure the current sound Sino-US economic and trade ties and cooperation momentum. Any US trade protectionism move will surely damage bilateral ties and the interests of companies from both countries," Global Times quoted China's Ministry of Commerce statement.The move comes after President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive memorandum directing Lighthizer to consider the possible initiation of an investigation.

Source: Economic Times August 19, 2017 08:37 UTC