Commerce official hopes dispute can be resolved with negotiations

China called on the European Union to prudently handle the ongoing trade dispute over the nation's exports of solar products, warning that an unfavorable ruling may incur countermeasures from China, a senior commerce official said on Monday.

"If the EU insists on imposing duty orders on Chinese exports and severely hurts the interests of Chinese manufacturers, the Chinese government will not stand by. We have no choice but take any measure to protect the lawful rights of Chinese businesses," said Chong Quan, deputy international trade representative with the Ministry of Commerce.