China’s Commerce Ministry expressed concern on Thursday that the US has been spreading negative information about the trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

“Recently the United States has launched trade remedy investigations into Chinese products and has continuously released negative information,” said Gao Feng, China’s Commerce Ministry spokesman.

“This has caused widespread concern among businesses in China and the United States, especially among US companies that are willing to cooperate with and expand into China,” he said.

China’s Commerce Ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” on Saturday to a statement by the US to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it opposes granting China market economy status. 

The open opposition from the US was revealed Friday, less than a week prior to a hearing at the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO over China's dispute case of the surrogate nation approach. "We don't know what the US's intentions were, releasing the information a few days ago," said Gao Feng, reiterating that all membership nations should abide by Article 15 of the accession protocol, which obligated nations recognize China as a market economy.