Prez aide takes heat from China

CHINA’S newly appointed economic czar told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Saturday that Beijing is ready to defend its interests after President Trump announced plans to slap tariffs on nearly $50 billion in Chinese imports.

Vice Premier Liu He told Mnuchin in a phone call that the order Trump signed Thursday violates international trade rules, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The White House says the planned tariffs are aimed at punishing Beijing for allegedly stealing American technology and pressuring U.S. companies to hand it over.

Xinhua cited Liu as saying that China is “ready and capable of defending its national interest and hopes both sides will remain rational.”

China said Friday that it planned to raise tariffs on a $3 billion list of U.S. goods, including pork, apples and steel pipes, in response to the steel and aluminum duties earlier announced by Trump.