BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday expressed "grave concerns" about an executive memorandum signed by US President Donald Trump to direct a trade representative to examine the so-called China's intellectual property practices. "We hope that the US trade representative respects facts and acts with prudence," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

If the US side fails to respect basic facts and multilateral trade rules, and takes measures that harm bilateral economic and trade relations, "China will definitely not sit by, but take all appropriate measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," it said.