Rachel Reeves praised President Donald Trump’s critique of global trade imbalances, adopting a more critical line on China, as the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer appealed for relief from US tariffs.

China has called on the US to cancel its sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods entering the country as a sign that the President Donald Trump is serious about resolving the trade war between the two countries. A Chinese official said there had been no trade talks with the US, despite suggestions otherwise from the Trump administration.