China’s top leaders are signaling they are on alert for a potential flareup of tensions in global commerce as they draw up economic plans for next year, after amassing a record trade surplus despite the tariff war with the US.

President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package to support U.S. farmers amid ongoing trade negotiations with China and tariff concerns.

China's premier says higher tariffs have dealt a "severe blow" to the world economy, even as China's own trade surplus has surged past $1 trillion.

China will ramp up efforts to expand imports and develop balanced trade in the next five years, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said in an interview with state news agency Xinhua on Friday. Wang said Beijing plans to sign more trade and investment deals in 2026-2030,

China’s trade and infrastructure engagement with Central Asian states surged in 2025, reshaping regional economics, politics, and transit routes.

Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tariff rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries.

U.S. trade with China needs to be balanced and probably needs to be smaller, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday, adding that he viewed a 25% drop in goods trade with China as heading in the "right direction.