In another rebuke of China, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed legislation mandating sanctions for Chinese officials involved in Beijing's crackdown in Hong Kong and issued an executive order that ends US preferential treatment for Hong Kong.

The actions are part of the Trump administration's offensive against China for what he calls unfair treatment by the rising Asian superpower, which hid details about the human-to-human transition of the coronavirus.

The almost daily administration broadsides against China come as Trump is being criticized for the surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and as he works to portray his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as weak on China.

U.S.-China relations are at a low ebb.

Since the two nations signed phase one of a trade deal, the talks are currently stalled with virtually no hope of restarting before the November election.

Trump also took a number of shots at his opponent in November's presidential election, Joe Biden, saying Biden's "entire career has been a gift to the Chinese communist party."