The Commerce Department and the I.T.C. must use narrow criteria set by Congress that give little discretion to either agency except on the question of whether a domestic industry has suffered significant injury from imports. The American solar panel industry has been laying off thousands of workers and closing factories. If the agencies pursue the case, final rulings could take six months or longer.

The Chinese ministry’s statement barely addressed the substance of the industry’s complaint, mentioning only in passing that Chinese policies were “in line with World Trade Organization rules.”

The ministry also made a clear plea for environmentalists to take its side.

“The development of the solar energy industry is a key measure of the Chinese government to address the challenges of climate change and energy security,” the statement said. “The United States has no reason to criticize other countries’ efforts to try to improve humanity’s environment — rather, it should join together with other countries to strengthen cooperation in the field of solar energy, and join together to face the challenges of climate change and the environment.”

So far, environmental groups in the United States have said little publicly in response to the solar panel trade case. Many environmental groups have advocated the creation of a strong American clean energy industry, which could improve the odds that Congress will continue to approve subsidies for alternative energy.

But many environmentalists also advocate the widest possible installation of solar panels as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. And toward that end, Chinese manufacturers have helped drive down the wholesale price of solar panels from $3.30 a watt in late 2008 to $1 to $1.20 a watt now.

The Chinese statement highlighted a study completed in August for an American trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, whose members include Chinese companies. The study calculated that the United States imported $1.4 billion worth of solar panels and other solar products from China last year, but exported solar factory equipment and raw materials valued at $1.69 billion to $1.98 billion to China.