Trump trade war: China tells US it will defend national interests

 

\

China warned the US it will defend its interests on trade, Chinese state media says, after US President Donald Trump backed tariffs on Chinese goods.

The comments came in a phone call between China's vice-premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Mr Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs on up to $60bn (£42.5bn) of Chinese goods, accusing China of intellectual property theft.
The move has rattled markets and stoked fears of a trade war.
Mr Liu, who is Chinese President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser, told Mr Mnuchin that Beijing was "ready to defend its national interests" but hoped that "both sides will remain rational and work together," China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
During the telephone conversation, which is thought to be the highest-level contact between the two governments since Mr Trump announced the tariffs on Thursday, Mr Liu also accused the US of violating international trade rules following its investigation into Chinese intellectual property practices