China strongly opposed the US decision to launch dual trade investigations into its steel tubes, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said late on Friday.

The US Department of Commerce decided on Feb. 20 to initiate anti-subsidy and anti-dumping probe into imports of circular welded austenitic stainless pressure pipes from China.

This is first dual probe the US launched against Chinese imports this year, lifting the total to nine since November 2006.

The use of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures violated US rules and the tradition of not adopting anti-subsidy measures against non-market economies, the MOC spokesman said in a statement.

"The move is unwise and wrong as it will not help to develop mutually beneficial, harmonious and healthy Sino-US trade relations and will even complicate the normal bilateral trade relations," the statement said.

"The ruling has greatly hurt the interests and feelings of Chinese industry and we hope the US will soon correct the mistake to avoid negative influence."

China reserved its legal rights as a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, the spokesman added.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2008)