Beijing braces for US trade deals that aim to shut out China

US President Donald Trump on July 2 announced a tiered tariff agreement with Vietnam. Exports to the US from the South-East Asian nation will be charged a 20% rate, Trump said in a social-media post, with 40% levied on any goods deemed to be transshipped through the country. - AFP

BEIJING: The trade truce between Washington and Beijing may be holding for now, but China is increasingly wary about what’s happening elsewhere: US efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains.

Ahead of a July 9 deadline, US officials are deep in talks with major trading partners in Asia and Europe, pushing for new agreements that would include restrictions on Chinese content, or secure commitments to counter what Washington sees as China’s unfair trade practices.