"On February 28, the Office of the US Trade Representative released a 2018 trade strategy and the 2017 annual report. This report backs the 'America first' policy and does not take into account China's tremendous achievements in building a market economy and ignores the fact that China strictly adheres to its pledges on WTO accession, as well as the mutually beneficial nature of trade and economic relations between China and the United States. Against this backdrop, the Chinese side expresses grave concerns," the statement said.
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The statement is not the first instance that has raised tensions in trade relations between Beijing and Washington in recent weeks. On Tuesday, the US Department of Commerce said aluminum foil from China was being sold at an unfairly low price and announced the decision to levy anti-dumping duties on several Chinese aluminum exporters. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has also expressed its dissatisfaction with the US move.