A flurry of activity reveals how Beijing is prepared to act swiftly and forcefully in an intensified diplomatic and trade standoff with Trump, analysts said.

China’s exports in December grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fill orders to beat higher tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose once he takes office.

China’s economy is more dependent on exports than it has been for most of the past two decades, leaving it vulnerable to a new broadside on trade from President-elect Donald Trump. Chinese exports to the rest of the world grew 5.