Sino-US tensions escalated sharply at the weekend as China declined an invitation to explore further trade talks and summoned Washington’s ambassador to Beijing to protest over sanctions imposed on a Chinese military officer. 

Zheng Zeguang, vice foreign minister responsible for US affairs, called in Terry Branstad after Washington  imposed sanctions on the People’s Liberation Army unit responsible for weapons development and its director, Lt Gen Li Shangfu. 

The US on Thursday said the PLA’s Equipment Development Department had bought jets and missiles from a Russian arms exporter subject to US sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’s “aggression in Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, cyber intrusions, interference in the 2016 [US presidential] elections and other malign activities”.