China signals tougher response as US trade restrictions deepenChina has delivered one of its clearest warnings yet that further US trade and technology restrictions will be met with stronger retaliation, underscoring the increasingly confrontational nature of the world’s most important economic relationship. Chinese officials accuse Applied DNA Sciences of promoting stringent supply-chain verification systems designed to reduce imports of cotton from China’s Xinjiang region into the United States. Chinese officials argue that these reports rely on unreliable sources and politically motivated allegations while ignoring Beijing’s repeated denials of forced labor accusations. At the same time, Chinese officials continue to emphasize that their actions are defensive rather than escalatory. At the same time, it has made clear that if Washington introduces additional restrictive measures, China stands ready to respond with greater determination.