China says companies facing many difficulties due to trade frictions

The Trump administration is considering radical new financial pressure tactics on Beijing, including the possibility of delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.

The United States and China have been locked in an escalating trade war for over a year. They have levied punitive duties on hundreds of billions of dollars of each other's goods, roiling financial markets and threatening global growth.

"Trade faces unprecedented challenges," Zhong told a news conference in Beijing. "These challenges are both external and internal."