BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's move to launch anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probes into imports of U.S. chicken products and vehicles was "based on the facts," Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Yao Jian said Tuesday.

    When asked if China's investigation was a retaliatory move because of the dispute over tire tariffs imposed earlier by the United States, Yao said at a press conference the investigation was in accordance with the country's anti-dumping and anti-subsidy regulations, and based on facts.

    China Sunday launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into chicken products and an anti-subsidy investigation into automobiles produced in the United States.

    Yao said the probe followed Chinese manufacturers' and industrial associations' demands for an investigation into U.S. companies' dumping activities and government subsidies.

    The ministry has received the requests and started evaluations, Yao said.

    Ma Chuang, vice secretary general of China Animal Agriculture Association, said 17 member companies, along with other domestic companies, handed over the requests to the ministry.

    The United States is the largest chicken products exporter to China. China imported 407,000 tonnes of chicken from overseas markets in the first half of 2009, with 359,000 tonnes, or about 90 percent from the United States.

    The U.S. government last Friday imposed special tariffs on tire imports from China. In the next three years, car and light truck tires imported from China will suffer decreasingly punitive tariffs of 35 percent, 30 percent and 25 percent.

    On Monday, China asked for talks with the U.S. on the tire tariff issue in accordance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement process.

    Yao said the U.S. decision to impose special tariffs on tire imports from China had brought a negative impact to the two countries' trade relationship.

    China wanted to have talks and negotiations with the U.S. side on the friction and to practically promote the development of bilateral and multilateral trade relationships, said Yao.

    He reiterated that China firmly opposed trade protectionism and discouraged the use of trade remedies measures.