"Frequent shootings": China warns citizens against travel to U.S.

Why it matters: China issued a similar travel advisory last year, but the latest one comes amid heightened trade tensions that show no sign of abating. In a separate advisory Tuesday, China warned Chinese firms operating in the U.S. they could face harassment from American law enforcement agencies, Reuters reports.

Context: Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing that difficulties Chinese citizens were facing in the U.S. was a key consideration of the latest alert, according to Bloomberg. Asked by reporters if the trade dispute was a factor, he said it was a response to "current circumstances," per Bloomberg.

The big picture: The U.S. and China have spent the past week blaming each other for the stalling of trade negotiations. On Sunday, China issued a "white paper" on the U.S.-China trade war in which it blamed the U.S. for negotiation setbacks in the talks, per Reuters.

• The U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office and the U.S. Treasury said in a joint statement Monday China had "back-pedalled" on key aspects of a deal that had largely been agreed to. Shuang told reporters in response the U.S. was "singing the same old tune," according to Reuters.

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