BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the United States' Section 301 investigation into China's policies for the semiconductor industry, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday.

The investigation will disrupt and distort the global semiconductor industrial and supply chains, and harm the interests of U.S. businesses and consumers, the ministry said.

The U.S. side has provided substantial subsidies to its own chip industry through legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act. It is also worth noting that U.S. semiconductor companies account for approximately 50 percent of the global market.

In comparison, Chinese-made chips constitute just 1.3 percent of the U.S. market share, and Chinese chip exports to the United States are significantly lower than imports from the United States, the ministry said, citing a recent report from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Calling on the United States to respect the facts and multilateral rules, and to cease its erroneous practices immediately, the ministry said that China will monitor the progress of the investigation closely and take all necessary measures to defend its own rights and interests resolutely. ■