Investor optimism will be constrained by the intensifying conflict between the world’s two biggest economies after Beijing announced steps widely seen as retaliation against the recent Trump administration bans against Chinese companies. Optimism has been elevated by President elect Joe Biden’s comments the bipartisan package passed in December was a ‘down payment’, and followed it up with comments he will deliver a plan costing “trillions” of dollars this Thursday. The urgency has grown after data on Friday showed the US economy shed jobs for the first time in eight months. On Saturday, China’s Ministry of … (full story)