07.08.202600:09:12UTC+00China Escalates Trade Tensions With New Measures Against U.S.

China has announced new countermeasures against the United States, tightening export controls on drones destined for the U.S. and prohibiting transactions with six American companies. Beijing framed the move as retaliation for recent U.S. restrictions and introduced it ahead of a planned September meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, despite signs of easing tensions following talks in Beijing in May.

The measures are a direct response to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s ban on imports of Chinese drones and the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to add 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list. China’s Ministry of Commerce accused Washington of “seriously violating” the consensus reached by the two leaders and “severely damaging China’s legitimate rights.” It urged the United States to reverse course and warned that further escalation could prompt additional Chinese sanctions.