China has moved to centre stage in the US election, with the Obama administration filing a second trade complaint in as many months against Beijing. In both cases, the measures have been announced to coincide with presidential trips to the crucial swing state of Ohio.
President Barack Obama said the US had launched a case against China at the World Trade Organisation over its export subsidies on cars and car parts, alleging they hurt US manufacturers and force them to shift production overseas.
The US case was filed on the same day as China launched its own WTO challenge against Washington, alleging that it was illegally imposing anti-dumping measures on a range of its good. In July, also on the eve of a re-election campaign trip to Ohio, the Obama administration took the first step in a formal trade dispute with Beijing at the WTO, challenging duties on large US cars.