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Trump’s newest warning to impose an further full import duty on Chinese goods has been labeled a “classic case” of US double standards, per the Beijing administration.

A official from China’s Commerce Ministry additionally remarked that the nation could implement its own unspecified “retaliatory steps” if the US President carries out his warning, noting that the country was “not afraid” of a possible trade war.

On Friday, Trump hit back at Beijing’s move to tighten its rules for exports of rare earths, charging Beijing of “becoming very hostile” and attempting to hold the global community “under its control”.

Additionally, he warned to cancel a scheduled summit with Beijing’s head of state President Xi, which was arranged for a meeting in Seoul in the coming weeks.

The former president’s remarks on Friday rattled financial markets, with the benchmark US stock index closing down over two and a half percent, marking its steepest fall since earlier this year.

These statements renewed fears of a commercial dispute between the United States and China.

Earlier this year, the two sides had reached an agreement to eliminate triple-digit tariffs on each other’s imports, which had created the possibility of bilateral trade stopping between the two countries.

Consequently, US tariffs on products from China facing an added thirty percent tariff compared with the year’s onset, while American products entering the Chinese market are subject to a 10% tariff.

China’s latest remarks – released by the Ministry of Commerce in the format of official answers to press queries – echoed language from the zenith of the ongoing trade dispute.

They criticised United States controls on chips and semi-conductors while justifying China’s own export controls on rare earths as “routine measures” to safeguard national security and that of all nations.

The spokesperson remarked that for “many years”, the America had “expanded the interpretation” of domestic safety, misused overseas sale restrictions and “enforced” biased policies against Beijing.

“Resorting to import duty warnings is not the proper method to engage with the Chinese government,” their representative commented.

“The nation’s view” on a tariff war has remained steady: we wish to avoid one, but we are fearless of one.”

Recently, China announced it was strengthening foreign shipment restrictions on key elements and additional substances critical for advanced tech manufacturing.

This was seen as a key move, as the country processes about ninety percent of the world’s rare earths, which are employed in goods such as renewable energy components and smartphones.

Latest statements from both governments are being interpreted by some as a strategy of strengthening positions ahead of upcoming negotiations.

Is not yet known whether a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, planned at a high-level meeting in South Korea in the coming weeks, will go ahead.