China says it is 'forced to fight back’ as U.S. slaps ...

Tangshan port. (File photo: Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced it strongly opposes U.S. slapping additional 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods and is forced to fight back, according to an announcement on Thursday.

The announcement came after the U.S. initiated additional 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Thursday.

The U.S. tariff list includes commodities such as semiconductors, electronics, plastics, chemicals and railway equipment, while China’s tariff list covers automobiles, energy, and chemical raw materials.

Two-day trade talks between China and the U.S. are underway in Washington led by China's Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen and senior U.S. Treasury official David Malpass.