Beijing | China's central bank has moved to give the country's slowing economy a jolt, saying it would essentially inject $185 billion into the financial system from next week as Beijing fights an escalating trade war with the United States and contends with a dangerous addiction to debt at home.

The move, which signals policymakers' concern about the economy, comes as new figures on Sunday showed China's trade with the United States is falling sharply as negotiations between the two countries have stalled. Imports of US goods fell 22 per cent in August from a year earlier while exports to the US sank 16 per cent.