China says cooperation is only the 'correct direction' for China-US trade ties

Published Thu, Jan 25 201812:07 AM EST

Key Points

China's commerce ministry said cooperation is the only "correct direction" for the China U.S. trade relationship.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that the U.S. is not starting a trade war, but rather trying to level the playing field of global commerce.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in Beijing on November 9, 2017.

Thomas Peter | Pool | Getty Images

China's commerce ministry said on Thursday cooperation is the only "correct direction" for the China-U.S. trade relationship, amid growing trade frictions between the world's two biggest economies.

Commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng made the comments during a regular weekly briefing in Beijing.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday the United States is not starting a trade war but trying to level the playing field of global commerce and fend off Chinese protectionism, including a "direct threat" in high-tech goods.