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China has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to approve higher import duties on solar power components and washing machines as an abuse of trade remedies.

The Commerce Ministry said Tuesday that Washington was wrong to take unilateral action and said the move could threaten the international trading system.

Trump acted on a recommendation by the U.S. International Trade Commission to limit the impact on American manufacturers of a flood of lower-cost imports.

A Commerce Ministry statement said Washington "abused its trade remedy measures." It said, "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction with this."