FILE PHOTO: People pass a pole with security cameras, U.S. and China's flags near the Forbidden City ahead of the visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, China November 8, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it hopes the United States does not underestimate its determination to protect its interests, even as Washington threatened to extend tariffs to virtually all Chinese imports.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a daily briefing, also said both countries agreed to continue pursuing a process of talks to resolve their trade dispute.