TRUMP : *U.S. AND CHINA*

PRESIDENT TRUMP says China thinks U.S. is 'stupid'.

WASHINGTON : President Donald Trump on Thursday accused China of thinking Americans are  ''stupid'' and vowed that he was ready to inflict 'economic pain' on the Asian power.

''They lived too well for too long and frankly, I guess they think that the Americans are stupid people. Americans are not stupid people,'' the outspoken mogul-turned president told ''Fox and Friends.''

Trump boasted that the $250 billion in tariffs he has slapped on the Chinese products have ''had a big impact''.

''Their economy has gone down very substantially,'' he said. ''I have a lot more to do if I want to do it. I don't want to do it but they have to come to the table.''

Trump is pressing China to improve trading conditions for US products and to end what US businesses say is widespread theft of their intellectual property.

China has responded by imposing counter tariffs, which the trump administration alleges show political interference by targeting products from key states in next month's congressional elections.

The International Monetary Fund this week cited  the trade war as it lowered its 2019 growth  forecast for China, which is set to see its  slowest expansion since 1990, but also lowered estimates for the United States and the global economy as a whole. [AFP]