The trade war appears ready to intensify across the board.

BEIJING – China has formalised the new role of top trade negotiator Li Chenggang, dropping him from the post of permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), official news agency Xinhua said on Oct 20.

The news comes after tension between the world’s two biggest economies flared, after the US added more foreign companies under its sanctions and China set wide-ranging export curbs on rare earths and critical materials in response.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/chinas-top-trade-negotiator-removed-from-wto-post-xinhua-reports