washington/beijing china plan punish u.s. automaker accuse price-fixing sign beijing could retaliate president-elect donald trump upend decades relations two nations trump assertion unite state need bind policy taiwan part one china would erode bedrock u.s.-china tie underpin vast increase trade cooperation world two large economies expect disagreement lead outright military confrontation even kind economic war many fear could launch trump threat u.s. presidential campaign slap tariff 45 percent chinese import however rise china plenty ways push back hard trump press taiwan question analysts see sensitive part u.s.-china relationship might shoot across bow trump administration due take office jan. 20 official china daily newspaper quote state plan official say china soon penalize unnamed u.s. automaker monopolistic behavior official say one read anything improper share general motor co ford motor co skid auto industry source tell reuters specific investigation already underway trump recent comment however manner announce say u.s. automaker formal announcement fin raise question around whether officials might seize case send shoot across bow incoming trump administration jason miller spokesman trump say wednesday trump team aware report would premature comment washington democratic congressional aide say china threat fine automaker good sharp reminder trump card play think enter negotiations taiwan trade north korea whatever unite state sole global superpower ... go need think again china state planner national development reform commission respond reuters request comment china daily story china foreign ministry say know detail case china welcome foreign company include american ones invest operate china time must respect china laws rule point clear ministry spokesman geng shuang say ask china send message trump pressure u.s. company boeing co ba.n general electric co ge.n large interest china could one tangible tool retaliation together new limit access country huge market u.s. business interest china estimate 500 billion wide economic step china america big creditor sell significant part 1.16 trillion u.s. treasuries weaken currency seem unlikely first would slash value china u.s. bond portfolio second could accelerate capital flight experts say beijing could speed military build-up begin slow along chinese economic growth carry naval exercise close taiwan regard renegade province withhold diplomatic cooperation issue iran north korea nuclear program taiwan policy china consider core interest ... prepare go great lengths defend say eric altbach senior vice president albright stonebridge group consultancy washington former deputy assistant u.s. trade representative china affairs consensus within obama administration trump irk china take phone call taiwan president fully aware potential backlash beijing question one china policy u.s. official say speak condition anonymity hope time trump take president barack obama recognize china advance far economically diplomatically militarily unwise pick fight beijing bedrock principle add former senior u.s. official take pessimistic view trump basically guarantee first year china relationship combative competitive one question bad get say chinese basically put together list retaliate least three ways matter could play u.s. china experts say trump could backtrack time much former u.s. president george w. bush second track would trump go question one china policy without take concrete action third consider unlikely u.s. officials past present would drift toward military confrontation ask trump one china stance could lead source tie chinese leadership tell reuters see trump say become president second source leadership tie say expect tensions unite state taiwan source say chinese president xi jinping sound nationalistic line recent predecessors could also use issue cement grip power taiwan embolden u.s. support something drastic could opportunity us cause dispatch troop second source say possibility taiwan declare independence hence trigger chinese invasion seem low mere soften u.s. commitment policy would likely play china defense posture alter chinese defense priorities think inevitable say dennis wild former cia china analyst say xi may increase chinese military spend 2017 place new emphasis time gain amphibious capabilities necessary actually invade taiwan xi jinping respond internally domestically want open fight trump show ... resolve say cite high military spend defense exercise tough rhetoric taiwan anticipate unless issue take table target u.s. automaker signal possible china retaliation trump talk