Beijing, China – China on Thursday slammed the Trump administration's decision to impose punishing tariffs on economies it claims are involved in forced labor, urging the US to back off.

"China's position on the Section 301 investigation has been consistent," said Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian during a press conference on Thursday.

"China opposes all forms of unilateral restrictive measures, including the series of trade restrictions imposed on China under the pretext of 'forced labor,'" He said.

"We urge the US to work with China in the same direction and jointly maintain the stability of China-US economic and trade relations."

Canada Canada's Carney says there's more to do on US trade after negotiators only made "some progress"

Her comments came after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced on Tuesday that 59 economies have failed to enact or enforce laws prohibiting the import of products manufactured using forced labor.

China was among a collection of countries, including Brazil, South Korea, and the UK, that face a 12.5% tariff on imports.

The Trump administration also chose to impose a 10% tariff on nations and trading blocs, such as the European Union, Canada, and Mexico, which have introduced restrictions but haven't sufficiently enforced them.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday tried to play down the new tariff, telling reporters that it "is not a surprise."

US allies such as Australia and the EU also hit back against the tariffs, the former's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeling them "unjustified and inconsistent" with existing trade agreements.

"China opposes all forms of unilateral tariff measures," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Wednesday. "No one stands to gain from a tariff war or a trade war."

"There is no such thing as 'forced labor' in China, and we oppose using it as a pretext for political manipulation," she said.