When the United States launched the trade war last year, one of its main aims was to force China to level the playing field in its economy. Washington wanted Beijing to open up areas restricted to state firms and cut support for state-owned companies, giving greater access to foreign and domestic private competitors. But analysts say that the US tariff regime could have the opposite of that intended effect by making life much tougher for China’s non-state sector, which has taken the brunt of American duties on Chinese exports to the US. As recently as last week, when US President Donald Trump effectively banned ... (full story)