Donald Trump is back in the White House, promising to use the United States's vast economic weight to hit back at China for its alleged unfair trade practices and role in the deadly American fentanyl crisis.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the United States under President Donald Trump remained committed to the Philippines' defense, as tensions simmer with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Chinese people on the streets of Beijing said Monday they were keeping expectations low ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump, as his second White House stint could push China-US ties into a new era of uncertainty.

Donald Trump unexpectedly held off tariffs on China on his first day back at the White House and did not single it out as a threat, raising the prospect of a rapprochement as both sides look to gain from each other rather than rain harm on an adversary.

Rubio's appointment as secretary of state has been seen as sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China.

President Biden and his team saw China as the one nation with the intent and capability to displace American primacy — and crafted policies to defend U.S. power.

The United States, Australia, India and Japan recommitted to working together on Tuesday, after the first meeting of the China-focused "Quad" grouping's top diplomats since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

China on Wednesday vowed to defend its "national interests" against tariff threats from US President Donald Trump after warned he could impose a 10 percent duty on imports from the country by the end of next week.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping may not have personally accepted US President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to his inauguration, but Beijing has taken the rare step of dispatching a top official to join the swearing-in ceremony in Washington.

The first Trump administration opted for a confrontational stance towards many countries in the region, including Peru. This ultimately pushed it to deepen its alliance with China. Beijing saw the opportunity, through favourable trade deals and investments, to position itself as a more reliable and beneficial partner than Washington.