BEIJING - China on Friday required the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a panel to hear and rule on the dispute surrounding the United States' countervailing measures against Chinese exports, in a bid to achieve an early solution, said the commerce ministry.

The request was made because China has unresolved concerns from previous consultations, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in a statement on its website, citing Shen Danyang, a spokesman for the ministry.

On May 25, China formally challenged US countervailing duties on over 22 categories of Chinese products, including steel, solar cells and paper, worth a total of $7.29 billion.

The two countries had a formal consultation on July 18, which failed to resolve China's concerns, said the ministry.

China has always respected WTO rules and firmly opposes the abuse of trade remedies, as well as trade protectionism, said Shen.

The country will exercise its rights as a WTO member and protect the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises, he added.

The US has acted inconsistently with WTO rules in the countervailing duty dispute in many aspects, including its application of the term "public bodies," specificity, available facts and its considering export restriction measures as subsidies, according to the MOC.