BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- An official with the Ministry of Commerce has reiterated the Chinese government's support for the lawsuit brought by its shoemakers against the European Union's anti-dumping measures.

Vice Minister Gao Hucheng said on Thursday that his ministry would respect and support the independent choice made by the Chinese shoemakers.

The EU adopted a new policy on October 5, imposing a two-year anti-dumping duty of 16.5 percent on Chinese shoemakers, which aroused fierce protests from Chinese shoemakers.

"The unfair investigation and ruling of the European Union in this case foster trade protectionism within the EU," said Gao. "We are very concerned about this prospect."

"We hope the EU is cautious in its trade investigations against China as it claimed in a recent policy report about China that trade measures must be imposed cautiously," the official said.

Gao also stressed that his ministry would continue to encourage Chinese shoemaking industries and companies to enhance coordination and self-discipline and to tackle anti-dumping cases with legal measures.

The Ministry of Commerce said earlier this week that it would respect and support the shoemakers' lawsuit against the EU in a statement posted on its web-site.