US Treasury: China a currency manipulator

The US Treasury Department has labelled China a currency manipulator after Beijing pushed down the value of its yuan in a dramatic escalation of the trade conflict between the world's two biggest economies.

The decision, which came hours after President Donald Trump accused China of unfairly devaluing its currency, marks a reversal for Treasury: In May, it had declined to sanction China for manipulating its currency.

The US has not put China on the currency blacklist since 1994.

The designation could pave the way for more US sanctions against China.

Earlier on Monday, China had allowed its currency to weaken to an 11-year low, a move that gives its exporters a price edge in world markets and eases some of the damage from US tariffs on Chinese products.