US Vice President Mike Pines said on Saturday that the United States will not back down from its trade dispute with China and may raise its tariffs to double if Beijing does not meet US demands.
In a frank address to the APEC summit meeting in Papua New Guinea, Pens made a warning to China on trade and security in the region.
The stern warning is unlikely to be welcomed in financial markets that had hoped for an improvement in the US-China conflict and perhaps even a deal of some kind at a meeting of the G20 in Argentina later this month.
President Donald Trump, who is not attending the APEC meeting, is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina.
Pence's warning contrasted with Trump's comments on Friday when he said he may not impose any other tariffs after China sent to the United States a list of measures it was willing to take to resolve trade tensions.
Bens also attacked what he described as China's regional "ambitions" for the Pacific, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative to promote land and sea links between Asia, Africa and Europe with billions of dollars in infrastructure investment.
