Outwardly at least, President Donald Trump continues to take a hard-line stance on China with tariffs of 145 percent and higher, even after easing off earlier trade offensives against other partners. China, which has vowed to "fight to the end," has responded with its own steep tariff hike and a range of other countermeasures.

The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, China is “evaluating” a proposal for tariff talks with the U.S. NBC News’ Christine Romans reports more.