BEIJING: Chinese premier Li Keqiang warned the US on Wednesday that American companies would be the first to be hit in the case of a trade war between the two nations.US president Donald Trump has promised to impose heavy duties on Chinese goods sold in that country.The warning assumes significance because a meeting between Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping is in the offing in April.Speaking at the annual session of the National People’s Conference, Li said, “A trade war would not make our trade fairer.” Li said that “a closed-door policy or beggar thy neighbour approach will not make anyone the winner.” This is seen as a reference to Trump’s “America first” policy.Li also made a plea to the European Union to relax its restrictions on export of high technology to China. On the South China Sea , he said, “China and the US have been cooperating for a long time in the Asia-Pacific and we have common interests.”