Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Wednesday warned against protectionist trade policies and the politicization of global supply chains, in an indirect swipe at the United States following recent tariff threats from Washington.

China relationship, which could flare up at any moment, noted analysts. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Since US President Donald Trump – just days into his second term – began imposing tariffs on China for its role in the flow of deadly opioids like fentanyl into the United States, Beijing’s message has been clear.

Beijing’s pervasive and predatory practices have distorted global manufacturing for almost two decades and undermined faith in the multilateral trading system.

China's total trade with the US fell 9.3 percent year-on-year to reach 2.08 trillion yuan ($290.16 billion), in the first half of the year, according to an official from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Monday.

China has meanwhile sought to portray the U.S. to the rest of the world – and the Global South in particular – as a disruptor of the free trade system. At the same time, it has worked to rally allies of the U.S. that have been hit with high tariffs, calling on them to work with China to confront Washington over tariffs.

China’s exports recorded a larger-than-expected acceleration in June, as exporters took advantage of a 90-day tariff truce with the United States to speed up their shipments. The world’s top merchandise exporter saw its outbound shipments rise by 5.

China always welcomes companies from all countries, including the US, to invest in China and share in development opportunities, Li Chenggang, China's international trade representative and vice minister of commerce,

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused the Trump administration of “ceding global leadership to China,” citing the trade war and a retreat from international engagement through cuts to foreign aid and media agencies.

Strategic Forum CEO Doctor Ross Babbage discusses China's aim to create a divide between Australia and the US with China’s President Xi Jinping's strategy to persuade Australia to distance itself from the United States.