ISTANBUL

China said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on car imports "will not help the US solve its own problems," state media reported.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remark at a regular press conference, urging the US to halt the imposition of tariffs.

"We have noticed that major trading partners of the US have responded,” Guo said after Trump signed an executive order Wednesday imposing 25% tariffs on imports of foreign-made cars and light trucks as he continued his global import duty push.

“There are no winners in a trade and tariff war, and no country's development and prosperity can be achieved through the imposition of tariffs," the spokesman added.

Guo also said that the US action breaches World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations, weakens the rule-based multilateral trading system, and harms the collective interests of people worldwide.

Trump's announcement of tariffs was met with immediate backlash and raised concerns among important global trade allies.