Washington — US President Donald Trump barrelled through warnings of a damaging trade war with China on Thursday, vowing an additional $100bn in tit-for-tat tariffs on Beijing. Having already asked for $50bn worth of Chinese goods to be punitively taxed, Trump responded to Beijing’s countermeasures by doubling down. "Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers," Trump said in a defiant statement. "In light of China’s unfair retaliation," Trump said he had instructed trade officials to "consider whether $100bn of additional tariffs would be appropriate." Trump said he was still open to talks, but only if they were aimed at achieving "free, fair, and reciprocal trade." On Thursday, China formally launched a World Trade Organisation (WTO) challenge against Trump’s first round of proposed tariffs. In the text released by the WTO, China’s delegation requested "consultations" with Washington "concerning the proposed tariffs [and] measures that...
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