Xi Jinping is furious after Donald Trump’s new Liberation Day tariffs on China, escalating tensions between the two global powers. China has slammed these tariffs as “unilateral bullying” and vowed strong countermeasures.

It could take months for agreement on a meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, as Chinese officials seek a scripted encounter.

Steve Daines, a Republican senator and strong Trump supporter, suggested in Beijing that he was laying the groundwork for a meeting between the leaders.

Wednesday's tariff announcement will be telling for how the president addresses the world's second-largest economy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on global business leaders to push back against protectionism, seeking to take advantage of growing backlash to rising US tariffs to promote his country as a reliable partner.

The Chinese leader will visit Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia at a time of great uncertainty about the course of U.S. policy toward the region.

The Trump administration is considering revoking tariff exemptions for low-value shipments from China, known as "de minimis," as part of Wednesday's tariff announcement, a source familiar with the plans said.

President Xi Jinping is making China’s presence more felt across the Indo-Pacific region by testing US allies on sensitive issues, as Donald Trump’s attention is taken up elsewhere.