Beijing and Washington’s latest tit-for-tat measures could test ties, but observers say they are little more than a “speed bump” on the road to a potential summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

The ministry separately launched a national security investigation into imported printing and copying office equipment with foreign-made software.

Dominic Chiu, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group risk advisory firm, said the latest Chinese move would heighten tensions but not derail Xi’s visit. He said Beijing’s measures were “calibrated to impose costs without breaking the truce”.

Beijing’s response signalled its willingness to escalate in a targeted way to deter Washington from rolling out further measures but at the same time indicated its willingness to engage and de-escalate, he said.