China's top leaders pledge economic support as trade war rages

China's top leaders called on Friday to step up support for the economy and oppose "unilateral bullying" in global trade, according to a meeting readout published by state media.

The comments were a veiled rebuke of hefty tariffs recently imposed on China by US President Donald Trump, which have triggered a high-stakes tit-for-tat trade battle between the world's two largest economies.

The Chinese Communist Party's top decision-making body pledged to "work with the international community to actively uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateral bullying practices", Xinhua reported.

The brutal trade war comes as China's economy strains under the weight of longstanding woes in the property sector and reluctance of consumers to pull out their wallets.

The Politburo meeting, which was attended by President Xi Jinping, saw leaders discuss a range of domestic economic issues, emphasising the need to "enhance the role of consumption in stimulating economic growth", according to Xinhua.

They also called for action to increase incomes and "vigorously develop service consumption", as well as the implementation of key rate cuts at "appropriate times".