China says will protect its interests amid U.S. trade probe

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Commerce Ministry said on Saturday the country will take necessary steps to protect itself if a final U.S. decision on imposing steep curbs on steel and aluminum imports from China and other countries affects China's interests. The ministry added that the U.S. Commerce Department report was "baseless" and did not accord with the facts. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kim Coghill)