US President Trump's Renewed Trade War With China

US President Donald Trump is to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. The meeting comes as the trade war between the US and China escalates. In recent months, China invoked its anti-sanctions law to counter US blacklisting of refiners. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. China's State Council authorized investigations and countermeasures against foreign countries and companies that undermine industrial and supply chains. The US sanctioned some Chinese refineries for buying Iranian oil. In a video call, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Bessent held 'candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges'. The US launched new Section 301 unfair-trade investigations into Chinese industries, prompting reciprocal action from China. The trade war has seen both countries impose tariffs and countermeasures, with China ending 2025 with a record trade surplus. In 2025, the US imposed a 100% duty on Chinese imports, and China widened export controls on critical minerals. Trump and Xi agreed to a new trade truce in Busan, South Korea, but it was later disrupted.