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Trump’s most recent threat to introduce an extra 100% tariff on products from China has been called a “prime illustration” of American hypocrisy, per the Chinese government.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson further commented that Beijing could enact its own unspecified “countermeasures” if the US President executes his threat, adding that the country was “fearless” of a potential trade conflict.

Last Friday, Trump hit back at the Chinese government’s action to tighten its rules for overseas sales of rare earths, charging Beijing of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the international market “hostage”.

Additionally, he vowed to cancel a arranged talks with Beijing’s head of state Xi Jinping, which was expected to take place during a conference in the Republic of Korea in the coming weeks.

Trump’s comments on Friday unsettled financial markets, with the benchmark US stock index falling by over two and a half percent, marking its biggest drop since earlier this year.

The president’s words renewed apprehensions of a trade war between the United States and China.

Earlier this year, the both nations had reached an agreement to remove high import duties on each other’s goods, which had led to concerns of trade halting between the two nations.

This left, US tariffs on products from China facing an added thirty percent tariff compared with the start of the year, while items from the United States entering the Chinese market incur a import levy.

Beijing’s recent statements – released by the Commerce Ministry in the format of written responses to media inquiries – echoed rhetoric from the peak of the ongoing trade dispute.

The remarks condemned American limits on exports on electronic components while justifying the country’s own restrictions on exports on rare earth minerals as “normal actions” to safeguard state interests and that of the global community.

The spokesperson said that for “a long time”, the US had “broadened the definition” of domestic safety, exploited overseas sale restrictions and “adopted biased policies against Beijing.

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

“The nation’s view” on a tariff war has consistently been steady: we are not seeking one, but we are not afraid of one.”

The previous week, the Chinese government revealed it was tightening foreign shipment restrictions on rare earth minerals and additional substances vital for high-technology production.

The action was viewed as a significant step, as the nation handles about 90% of the world’s rare earths, which are utilized in goods such as solar panels and handheld devices.

The recent comments from the US and China are being seen by some as a strategy of strengthening positions ahead of forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a talks between Trump and Xi Jinping, planned at a conference in South Korea later this month, will go ahead.