China’s Commerce Ministry issued a cautiously worded statement that "expressed regret" that the U.S. administration had started a trade case at the World Trade Organization challenging Chinese subsidies.
The ministry defended Chinese policies aimed at providing assistance to exporters’ administrators without directly covering part of the actual cost of producing and shipping goods. In announcing the trade case on Wednesday, the Obama administration said the programs violated the W.T.O.’s prohibition on export subsidies.
China’s policies are "part of the transformation and upgrade of our foreign trade," the Chinese ministry said. "We hope that the W.T.O. will appropriately handle this based on the dispute resolution process."