BEIJING - The United States' tariff proposals on imported steel have the risk of triggering a chain effect and spreading protectionism across the world, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

"The bad practices of the United States are like opening Pandora's box," spokesperson Gao Feng said, when asked to comment on the trade remedy measures or investigations recently taken by the European Union and Japan.

Excess production capacity is a global issue and therefore needs all countries work together, Gao said.

"The solution is not to close doors, but to open them, deepen cooperation, and make use of respective advantages to increase common interests," he stressed.