China warns of action if US harms trade ties

Trump's move comes at a time of heightened tension over North Korea's nuclear ambitions

China will take action to defend its interests if the United States damages trade ties, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump authorised an inquiry into China’s alleged theft of intellectual property.
 
Trump’s move, the first direct trade measure by his administration against China, comes at a time of heightened tension over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, though it is unlikely to prompt near- term change in commercial ties.
 
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will have a year to look into whether to launch a formal investigation of China’s policies on intellectual property, which