China on Thursday again expressed " firm opposition to and strong displeasure with" the United States after it announced restriction on imports of another four kinds of China-made textile products.

"The Chinese government reserves the rights to take further actions within the framework of the World Trade Organization," said Ministry of Commerce spokesman Chong Quan. But he didn't elaborate what measures will be taken.

"China urges the US government to change its wrong doings, fairly and prudently treat the current textile issue to avoid severe damage to the Sino-US economic and trade ties," Chong said in a statement on the MOC website (www.mofcom.gov.cn).

The world eliminated the quota regime on textile goods on January 1 this year according to WTO agreements. As a major supplier of textile goods and garments, China has faced limits or threat to limit from the United States and the European Union lately.

The US government on Wednesday said it will impose new limits on imports of clothing from China, including boys cotton and man- made fiber shirts, man-made fiber trousers, man-made fiber knit shirts and blouses and combed cotton yarn.

The US government announced last Friday that it had decided to re-impose quotas on the imports of three categories of Chinese textile products, alleging the import growth threaten to disturb the market.

"The US decision runs counter to World Trade Organization's agreements on trade of textile and apparel products, deviates from the WTO spirit of free trade, and fails to conform to the conditions for launching article 242 in documents concerning China 's accession to the WTO," Chong said.

Article 242 says in general that WTO members can impose limits on certain types of China-originated clothing when an import surge occurs and causes market disruption.

Chong added that the US decision violated relevant procedures of the United States, damaged the rightful interests of China's businesses and "severely undermined the confidence of China's businesses and people in the world trade environment.

Chong Quan said the US decision has set a "very bad precedent" as it is based on "inaccurate figures gathered in a short period of time."

"China has been positively and with the utmost sincerity promoting exchange and cooperation with all the countries and region, including the United States and has been taking active measures to confront the integration of textile trade," Chong said.

The Chinese textile industry also urged the US government to change its decision, warning to appeal the Chinese government to take "retaliatory" measures.

"Trade conflict is not good for both countries and we hope the US government will...stop such restriction which hurts bilateral trade ties," said the China National Textile and Apparel Council in a statement.

Source: Xinhua