U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday urged Beijing to acquiesce to American trade demands and credited his administration’s new policies for China’s recent slow growth.

China announced Monday that its economy grew 6.6% last year, down from 6.8% in 2017.

“China posts slowest economic numbers since 1990 due to U.S. trade tensions and new policies. Makes so much sense for China to finally do a Real Deal, and stop playing around!” Trump tweeted Monday evening from Washington.

As Trump said, this is the China’s slowest annual expansion since 1990. But the country’s economic woes trace back to deeper structural problems, including mounting debt and sluggish domestic demand.

China posts slowest economic numbers since 1990 due to U.S. trade tensions and new policies. Makes so much sense for China to finally do a Real Deal, and stop playing around!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

The U.S. said it will implement harsher tariffs by March 1 if the two sides do not reach a trade deal.

Read Caixin’s full coverage of the trade war

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