China's top leaders pledged on Friday to step up support for the economy and oppose "unilateral bullying" in global trade in a veiled rebuke of hefty tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The world's two largest economies are engaged in a high-stakes trade war that has spooked markets and spurred major manufacturers to reconsider supply chains.

Leaders at a gathering of the Chinese Communist Party's top decision-making body focused on economic work, which was attended by President Xi Jinping, acknowledged that "the impact of external shocks is increasing", state news agency Xinhua reported.

They also said they would seek to "work with the international community to actively uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateral bullying practices", it said.

The brutal trade war comes as China's economy strains under the weight of longstanding woes in the property sector and reluctance by consumers to pull out their wallets.

Leaders at the Politburo meeting discussed a........

© International Business Times