China will take all necessary measures to defend the legitimate rights and interests of its companies, said the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

The Canadian government announced on Monday that it plans to impose a 100 percent tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles and a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and aluminum from China.

China has repeatedly emphasized that the development of industries such as electric vehicles is based on its comparative advantages and is the result of open competition, said a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce in an online statement.

The Canadian side claims to support free trade and a multilateral trading system based on the World Trade Organization rules, yet it blatantly violates these rules by blindly following certain countries in announcing unilateral tariff measures. This is a typical example of trade protectionism, said the commerce official.

Such actions will disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains, severely undermine the global economic system and trade rules, harm the interests of businesses in both countries and reduce consumer welfare in Canada. The protectionist moves will hinder Canada's green transition and global efforts to address climate change, according to the statement.