Trump administration mulling trade action against China

The US government is planning to take trade action against China, as worries grow in Donald Trump's administration over Beijing’s move to compete at the top level of international commerce.

According to several reports from US media, Donald Trump’s administration will approve an investigation into alleged Chinese violations of American intellectual property.

Despite Trump’s campaign trail output that he would slap trade tariffs on imports from China, Trump has moved to stress cooperation with China during the opening months of his presidency.

Tensions have risen however as the US believes China should be taking more action to curb the threat of North Korea, after a ratcheting up of its missile programme since the start of the year.

China has adopted a policy of attempting to become a leading manufacturer of autonomous cars, artificial intelligence and other technology by 2025.

Current US-China trade relations represent the biggest international trading line in the world, with any investigation launched by Trump’s government likely to cause major tension between Washington and Beijing.