China's state newspaper on Tuesday accused the United States of "deliberately destroying international order," one day after Washington branded Beijing a currency manipulator in a rapidly escalating trade dispute.

"A country without integrity will be lonely," an editorial by the People's Daily said. "The irresponsible acts exhibited by some Americans show that they disregard justice and undermine honesty," it said, according to CNBC's translation of the Chinese newspaper.

China's state media typically serve as the government's mouthpiece.

On Monday, Beijing allowed its currency to slide below what has been widely viewed as a psychological red line — the key 7 yuan to the dollar level — for the first time since 2008. Later that day, the U.S. Treasury Department declared China a currency manipulator — it was the first such designation in 25 years, when Beijing was named a currency manipulator in 1994.

The U.S. and China have been engaged in a trade dispute for more than a year, with both sides imposing duties on billions of dollars worth of goods from each other. Things escalated last week when the Trump administration threatened to implement 10% tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Sept. 1.

Trump has repeatedly accused China of keeping the yuan low in order to gain a trade advantage, as exports are cheaper when the currency is weaker.