As the leaders of Canada and Mexico rushed to respond after Donald Trump started a new trade war, Chinese President Xi Jinping took a breath before his nation announced any concrete retaliation.

Beijing says it wants dialogue with U.S. President Donald Trump and will go ahead with unspecified "countermeasures" to new U.S. tariffs on imports from China.

The president signed executive orders placing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China that were set to take effect on Tuesday, a move that could lead to a new era of global tensions.