White House warns China on trade and sea lanes

Washington (AFP) – The White House warned China on Monday that the United States will defend “international interests” in the South China Sea and that trade must be a “two-way street.”

At his first formal daily briefing, President Donald Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer defended the incoming administration’s wary stance on ties with Beijing.

Trump “understands the market that China has and our desire to further penetrate that market. But he also recognizes there are a lot of concerns with how we are treated entering into China’s market,” Spicer said.