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China says it is ready for 'any type of war' with US

China has warned the US it is ready to fight "any type" of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump's mounting trade tariffs.

The world's top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.

"If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end," China's embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.

It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People's Congress.

On Wednesday, China's Premier Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7.2% this year and warned that "changes unseen in a century were unfolding across the world at a faster pace." This increase was expected and matches the figure announced last year.

Leaders in Beijing are trying to send a message to people in China that they are confident the country's economy can grow, even with the threat of a trade war.

China has been keen to portray an image of being a stable, peaceful country in contrast to the US, which Beijing accuses of being embroiled in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.

China may also hope to capitalise on Trump's actions relating to US allies such as Canada and Mexico, which have also been hit by tariffs, and will not want to ramp up the rhetoric too far to scare off potential new global partners.

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@PierceSutton

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European stocks steady after US markets plunge

A sell-off in global shares eased in Europe on Tuesday following a sharp fall in US stocks that came as investors raised concerns about the negative economic impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs.

It followed the president saying in a TV interview that the world's biggest economy was in a "period of transition", when asked about suggestions of a potential recession.

Since those remarks were broadcast on Sunday, top Trump officials and advisers have sought to calm investor fears.

The US S&P 500 share index fell nearly 3% on Monday, but in Europe most of the major markets opened little changed.

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@ChloeMarie

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Number of Canadians travelling to U.S. plummets amid threats

Canadians appeared to be abandoning road trips to the U.S. amid President Donald Trump’s sovereignty and economic threats to their country.

The number of Canadian-resident return trips by car from the U.S. plunged 23% from a year ago in February, marking the second straight month with a year-over-year decline, Statistics Canada reported Monday.

The annual drops in January and February were the first and second since March 2021.

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@AudreyLynn

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US cuts off intelligence sharing with Ukraine, FT reports

The U.S. has cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, said CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday, in a move that could seriously hamper the Ukrainian military's ability to target Russian forces.
The decision to cut off intelligence-sharing and military aid to Ukraine starkly illustrates the Trump administration's willingness to play hardball with an ally to force it to the negotiating table.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which the Ukrainian leader expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table over the Russia-Ukraine war.

#Reuters
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@PierceSutton