BEIJING (AP) — China's newly-appointed economic czar has told U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that Beijing is ready to defend its interests after President Donald Trump announced plans to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion Chinese imports.

The official Xinhua News Agency says Vice President Liu He told Mnuchin in a phone call Saturday the order Trump signed Thursday violates international trade rules.

The tariffs are aimed at punishing Beijing for allegedly stealing American technology and pressuring U.S. companies to hand it over.

Xinhua cites Liu as saying that China is "ready and capable of defending its national interest and hopes both sides will remain rational."

On Friday, China announced a $3 billion list of U.S. goods including pork, apples and steel pipes that it said may be hit with higher tariffs.