China has said it will raise tariffs on $60bn (£46bn) of US goods from 1 June, extending a bilateral trade war.

The move comes three days after the US more than doubled tariffs on $200bn of Chinese imports.

The escalation hit stock markets, with Asia markets falling on Tuesday after Wall Street closed with sharp losses.

US President Donald Trump had warned China not to raise levies but Beijing said it would not swallow any "bitter fruit" that harmed its interests.

Items affected include beef, lamb and pork products, as well as various varieties of vegetables, fruit juice, cooking oil, tea and coffee.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing in Beijing that China would "never surrender to external pressure".

The move hit stock markets in the US on Monday, with the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 closing down 2.4%, while the Nasdaq index lost 3.4%.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.6%.

The latest round of US-Chinese trade negotiations ended in Washington on Friday without a deal.

The US argues that China's trade surplus with the US is the result of unfair practices, including state support for domestic companies.

It also accuses China of stealing intellectual property from US firms.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1404 HRS, MAY 14, 2019
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