President Donald Trump on Monday signed a memorandum that could lead to a trade investigation of alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.
The measure directs U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to look into options to protect U.S. intellectual property. It does not take any specific action against China at this point.
The Trump administration wants to look into practices forcing American companies to share intellectual property in order to access the Chinese market. Washington says the tactic can hurt economic growth.
The U.S. could potentially take action independently or with the World Trade Organization.
China said on Tuesday that it would take actions to defend its interests if the United States damages trade ties after President Donald Trump authorized an inquiry into China's alleged theft of intellectual property.
The United States should respect objective facts, act prudently, and not destroy principles of multilateralism, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.
Reference: CNBC
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