US accuses China of 'escalation' in latest restrictions on American diplomats

China says curbs legitimate and necessary' as tensions rise

The US has called a decision by Beijing to impose restrictions on all American diplomats on Chinese soil an escalation", the latest rebuke in a tit-for-tat dispute over foreign missions.

Relations between the world's top two economies have deteriorated in recent months, with both sides locked in fierce recriminations over trade disputes, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.