BEIJING - China's Aokang Group has begun legal action to oppose a European Union decision to impose anti-dumping duties on shoe imports, becoming the country's first shoemaker to do so, the company said on Tuesday.

Aokang Group, China's largest privately owned shoemaker, has retained a lawyer to file the suit on the grounds that the tariffs on Chinese shoes violate EU laws, it said in a statement on its Web site.

"No matter how complicated the procedures or how arduous the work, our company belives the law is just," the statement quoted company president Wang Zhentao as saying.

"China's shoe producers should stand up and use legal procedures to fight for their position."

Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to impose duties of 16.5 percent for leather shoes from China and 10 percent from Vietnam for two years, in a decision China's Commerce Ministry said lacked "sufficient legal and factual evidence".

Aokang's legal action comes as the EU's executive Commission is set to issue policy papers later on Tuesday that urge Beijing to do more to assure Europeans it is committed to fair trade and is not an economic threat.

The issue of the EU shoe tariffs -- which were imposed following months of argument between protectionists and free traders within the bloc -- will likely be on the agenda when French President Jacques Chirac makes a four-day visit to China beginning on Wednesday.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is also expected to visit China in November ahead of the launch of talks on a new, broad partnership pact that will include trade and investment issues.