China will take countermeasures to safeguard its interests and firmly oppose any attempt to reach a trade deal that harms China's interests, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

He Yongqian, a spokeswoman for the ministry, made the remarks at a news conference, responding to questions about the trade deal the United States reached with Vietnam.

Under the trade agreement between the US and Vietnam, the US will impose a 20 percent tariff on Vietnamese exports to the US, and a 40 percent tariff on goods transshipped through Vietnam.

The ministry said that China has noted the trade deal and is conducting an assessment.

"China is pleased to see any parties resolve their trade differences with the US through equal consultations, but China firmly opposes any attempt to reach a deal at the expense of China's interests," said He.

"If such a situation were to occur, China would resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own interests," she added.