BEIJING - Beijing unleashed its tightly controlled media this week after keeping a lid on rhetoric for months as the trade war with Washington reignited, with fiery clips from state media ricocheting around the Internet.
The barrage began on Monday night during state broadcaster CCTV's prime-time newscast watched across China. Official news agency Xinhua on Tuesday accused the United States of"using underhanded means to achieve its aim" and"downright bullying" in an editorial. Shi Yinhong, director of the American studies center at Renmin University, said:"Previously the Chinese government always understated the trade conflict with the United States, only said this is trade friction but now the trade friction has hit to this level."DOWNPLAYING TENSIONS For months, as American and Chinese officials faced off at the negotiating table, China's media downplayed the trade tensions.