China on Tuesday hit back at the US by announcing tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods.

China's Ministry of Commerce said earlier Tuesday that it had "no choice" but to retaliate.

On Monday evening, the US announced new tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

China's new tariffs affect 5,207 US products and account for as much as 95% of all US exports to China.

China has hit back at the US with a fresh series of tariffs less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, knocking the trade war between the two nations up another gear.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday said it would levy tariffs of 5% to 10% on $60 billion worth of US goods sent to China, with 5,207 individual products affected. The tariffs are to take effect September 24, the same day the latest ones imposed by the US are scheduled to begin.

"In order to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests and the global free trade order, China will have to retaliate as a response," a statement from the ministry said earlier Tuesday, before the specifics of the retaliation were released.

The Trump administration initiated the latest round in the US-China trade war overnight. When the new tariffs take effect, over half of all Chinese goods coming into the US will be subject to duties. The US has sought to use tariffs to pressure Beijing to change some of its trade practices.

"For months, we have urged China to change these unfair practices and give fair and reciprocal treatment to American companies," Trump said in a statement.

"We have been very clear about the type of changes that need to be made, and we have given China every opportunity to treat us more fairly. But, so far, China has been unwilling to change its practices."

The new tariffs from Beijing are in line with what the ministry previously threatened, and they mean 85% to 95% of American exports to China are now facing tariffs.

Trump's new tariffs threaten to derail plans to send Chinese President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser to the US for trade talks. The South China Morning Post reports that plans to send Vice Premier Liu He for meetings with senior US officials may now be scrapped. The Wall Street Journal later reported that China could continue with the meetings, but send vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen instead of Liu.

"We have been stressing that talks need to happen on the basis of parity, equality, and good faith," a representative from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said at a press briefing, according to the Financial Times.

"What the US has done shows no sincerity and good faith at all."

Here's a timeline of the US-China trade war so far: