BEIJING - China on Thursday filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against US tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese goods under the Section 301 investigation, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

By launching the complaint under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, China is to safeguard free trade and multilateral mechanisms as well as its legitimate rights and interests, an MOC spokesperson said in an online statement.

By willfully imposing the tariffs on Thursday, the US has obviously violated WTO rules, according to the statement.

"China firmly opposes it and has to once again take necessary countermeasures," it said.