The Trump administration has recently rolled out a series of new export control measures targeting China. While these moves are officially justified on national security grounds, it’s clear that they also serve as a strategic tool to pressure Beijing and gain leverage in ongoing trade negotiations.

US President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping was “extremely hard to make a deal with” in a comment that comes as frictions rise between the two countries, weeks after they reached an agreement to de-escalate trade tensions.