While it will hardly come as a surprise considering that trade wars always evolve in an escalating tit-for-tat manner, the WSJ reports that just hours ahead of Trump’s announcement of as much as $60 billion in tariffs targeting Beijing, China is preparing to hit back with its own countertariff aimed at President Donald Trump’s support base, including levies targeting U.S. agricultural exports from farmbelt states in retaliation to the mounting trade offensive from Washington.

At the same time, and in hopes of avoiding further escalation, Beijing is also reportedly weighing concessions, including easing restrictions on foreign investments in securities firms and insurance companies.

In taking a stick-and-carrot approach, President Xi Jinping is seeking to avoid escalating trade tensions with the Trump administration.

“Any Chinese response to new U.S. tariffs would be measured and proportional,” said a Chinese official involved in policy-making.

Should the carrot not work, China’s “stick” is said to target U.S. exports of soybeans, sorghum and live hogs.

And while we said that the news should not come as a surprise, it appears that to FX-trading algos, that’s precisely what the WSJ report was, as it sent both the USDJPY and AUDUSD sliding.

Earlier today, the WSJ confirmed previous reports that the White House is preparing to crack down on what it says are improper Chinese trade practices by making it significantly more difficult for Chinese firms to acquire advanced U.S. technology or invest in American companies, individuals involved in the planning said.

The administration plans to release on Thursday a package of proposed punitive measures aimed at China that include tariffs on imports worth at least $30 billion.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…