US economic pressure on China was responsible for preventing the authorities from carrying out a harsher crackdown against demonstrators in Hong Kong, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday.
Donald Trump has said he will raise tariffs on US$ 200bn of Chinese goods because talks on a US-China trade deal are moving “too slowly”. The US president tweeted that tariffs of 10% on certain goods would rise to 25% on Friday, and US$ 325bn of untaxed goods could face 25% duties “shortly”.
United States and China are expected to impose fresh tariffs on US$ 16bn of each other's goods on Thursday as their tit-for-tat trade war rages on. The second round of tariffs will see a total of US$ 50bn worth of goods from each side that will now be taxed. Since the opening salvo in July, tensions between the world's two largest economies have escalated, hurting their companies and economies.
The Chinese government has eased rules that limit foreign investment in the country's banks, car industry and agriculture. The barriers have drawn criticism from trading partners, including the US. The Trump administration cited the rules as an example of unfair practices when it announced plans for tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this year.