New United States tariffs on China may irk Beijing without provoking retaliation. These duties are in line with proposed levels citing inadequate efforts to address forced labor. China opposes unilateral tariffs but has not announced specific countermeasures against these levies. Chinese officials seek clarity from Washington on upcoming artificial intelligence summit expectations. Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu visited Washington to discuss the scope of AI dialogue.

With Washington expected to pivot to more durable tariffs under Section 301, analysts expect bilateral guard rails to keep tensions from spiralling.

New United States tariffs on China may irk Beijing without provoking retaliation. These duties are in line with proposed levels citing inadequate efforts to address forced labor.…