President Donald Trump on Monday authorized an inquiry into whether to investigate China's alleged theft of intellectual property, the first direct action by the White House against a country Trump has painted as the U.S. chief trade villain.
Trump broke from his 17-day vacation in New Jersey to sign the memo in Washington at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
The investigation is likely to cast a shadow over relations with China, the largest U.S. trading partner, just as Trump is asking Beijing to step up pressure against Pyongyang.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.