China shrugs off threat of US tariffs to economy, says it has tools to protect jobs

FILE – President Donald Trump, left, poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) China's leaders are downplaying the potential impact from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, saying they have the capacity to protect jobs and limit damage from higher tariffs on Chinese exports. The briefing Monday by several senior officials of different government ministries appeared aimed at shoring up confidence with promises of support for companies and the unemployed, easier lending conditions and other policies to counter…