China on Friday stressed its opposition to any measures by the United States and Europe to restrict its booming, multi-billion dollar textile exports.

"Our position is already well known," Zhang Lei, a spokeswoman at the Ministry of Commerce told AFP when asked about US and EU moves Thursday to start proceedings that could limit Chinese textile exports in an effort to protect their domestic industry.

Zhang made no further comment but in the past week a series of senior Chinese officials have sharply criticised efforts to limit Chinese textile exports as violating the principles of free trade and existing trade protocols.

Both the US and EU governments are under pressure from their own industries after the ending of a global quota system on January 1

allowed a huge increase in Chinese textile exports into their markets.

"China is firmly opposed to limitations imposed by other countries," Trade Minister Bo Xilai said while in Jakarta on Monday.

"China does not bear the main responsibility for the phenomenon of steep rises in the exports of Chinese textiles in certain markets," he said.

"This decision is against the usual position of free trade, of the EU government and threatens the long-term stable development of the China-EU textile trade," commerce ministry spokesman Chong Quan said Tuesday as the EU signalled its dissatisfaction with China's export boom.

"We hope that the EU can acknowledges fully the negative influence on bilateral trade relations when it imposes limits on Chinese textile products." - AFP