The reaction from the Chinese establishment follows the reports in the US media that President Donald Trump has approved $50 million worth of tariffs on Chinese goods.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that Beijing will promptly take steps to protect itself if US revised tariffs hurt its interests.

Earlier, China's state council, said it would reduce import tariffs on a range of consumer goods such as cosmetics, apparel and home appliances to strength its industries to upgrade and boost competitiveness.

Moreover, China has decided to cut import tariffs on automobiles and auto parts starting on July 1, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council. 135 types of tariffs for automobiles will drop to 15 percent, from the previous level of 25 percent, while four types of tariffs of 20 percent will also be lowered to 15 percent. In addition, 79 types of tariffs for auto parts will fall to 6 percent.

Tensions between China and the United States had escalated in recent months as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States. In its turn, Beijing promised to retaliate against US exports to China with a matching value.

Agencies