🔗 Share this article

Trump’s most recent ultimatum to enforce an extra 100% tariff on products from China has been called a “prime illustration” of American hypocrisy, per the Beijing administration.

A representative of the ministry further commented that the nation could enact its own undisclosed “retaliatory steps” if the White House occupant follows through on his pledge, emphasizing that the country was “unafraid” of a looming trade war.

Last Friday, the former president hit back at the Chinese government’s action to strengthen its regulations for foreign shipments of critical elements, charging the Chinese leadership of “turning aggressive” and attempting to hold the global community “captive”.

He also warned to withdraw from a scheduled talks with China’s President Xi Jinping, which was arranged for a conference in Seoul in the coming weeks.

Trump’s comments on last Friday rattled financial markets, with the benchmark US stock index falling by 2.7%, marking its largest decline since earlier this year.

These statements revived apprehensions of a trade conflict between the United States and China.

Earlier this year, the two sides had reached an agreement to drop triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods, which had led to concerns of trade halting between the two nations.

As a result, American import duties on Chinese goods incurring an added thirty percent tariff compared with the start of the year, while items from the United States entering China are subject to a ten percent duty.

China’s latest remarks – published by the Commerce Ministry in the format of official answers to press queries – mirrored terminology from the height of the ongoing trade dispute.

The remarks condemned US export restrictions on chips and semi-conductors while defending the country’s own export controls on key elements as “normal actions” to ensure state interests and that of all nations.

The official remarked that for “a long time”, the United States had “expanded the interpretation” of domestic safety, misused export control measures and “implemented” unfair treatments against Beijing.

“Resorting to tariff threats is not the proper method to interact with China,” the spokesperson stated.

“Beijing’s stance” on a tariff war has always been steady: we wish to avoid one, but we are fearless of one.”

Last week, Beijing announced it was reinforcing foreign shipment restrictions on rare earth minerals and additional substances critical for advanced tech manufacturing.

This was seen as a significant step, as the nation refines about 90% of the world’s rare earths, which are employed in goods such as photovoltaic modules and mobile phones.

Latest statements from both governments are being viewed by observers as a means of strengthening positions in preparation for forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a summit between Trump and Xi Jinping, planned at a conference in Seoul in the coming weeks, will still proceed.