China expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the United States' initiation of a Section 301 investigation targeting China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding industries, said the Ministry of Commerce.

The ministry made the comment on Wednesday after the US Trade Representative launched the probe, emphasizing that it will keep abreast with the progress of the investigation and will take all necessary measures to steadfastly defend its rights and interests.

The US application for the investigation is rife with unfounded allegations, distorting normal trade and investment activities as threats to US national security and business interests. Blaming China for its own industrial issues lacks factual basis and contradicts economic common sense, the ministry said.

Multiple US research reports have shown that the US shipbuilding industry lost its competitive edge years ago due to excessive protectionism. While the US provides discriminatory subsidies amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars to its own industries, it accuses China of adopting so-called non-market practices, the ministry said.

In reality, the development of Chinese industries is the result of technological innovation by enterprises and active participation in market competition, the ministry said, stressing that the US accusations are baseless.

China called on the US to respect facts and adhere to multilateral rules while immediately ceasing their erroneous actions and returning to the rules-based multilateral trade system, the ministry said.