China is no longer the main source for U.S. imports. Mexico took its place last year. That seismic shift started in 2018 after President Trump signed into law a round of tariffs on many Chinese imports during his first term.

In his first global meetings since Donald Trump was reelected to lead the U.S., Chinese President Xi Jinping went on a diplomatic offensive, hedging against expected new tariffs and preparing to exploit potential future rifts between Washington and its allies.

Some Chinese businesses are bracing for additional U.S. levies at a time when Beijing is already cutting assistance due to overcapacity.

China's commerce ministry on Thursday announced a series of policy measures aimed at boosting the country's foreign trade, including pledging to strengthen financing support to firms and expand exports of agricultural products.

China is ready for dialogue with the United States. President-elect Donald Trump announced the introduction of high tariffs on Chinese products. According to experts, tariffs on Chinese imports might reduce the growth of the world's second-largest economy by 1 percentage point.

Higher tariffs on Chinese exports will backfire, just increasing prices paid by consumers, while China can manage to weather the effects of such "external shocks," a senior Commerce Ministry official said Friday in Beijing.