China and the Philippines have each unfurled their national flags on tiny sandbars in the South China Sea, staking competing sovereignty claims in strategic waters seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict.

The standoff over Sandy Cay, which lies close to military outposts built by both Beijing and Manila, was the latest between the two nations.

The dollar barely recouped its heavy losses on Tuesday as investors were no clearer on whether a de-escalation of the Sino-U.S. trade war was underway with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting the onus was on China to start negotiations.

Beijing appears to be bedding in for a protracted battle with the US over tariffs. The Chinese government laid out policies Monday to aid its exporters affected by the trade war, including loan support for troubled firms and measures to further boost domestic consumption.

China on Monday said it was on the right side of history in its gruelling trade war with the United States. Recall that the US President Donald Trump, since returning to the presidency in January, has imposed 10 per cent tariffs on most US trading partners and a separate 145 per cent levy on many products from China.