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The former US president’s newest warning to enforce an additional 100% tariff on items imported from China has been described as a “prime illustration” of United States’ contradictory behavior, as stated by the Beijing administration.

A official from China’s Commerce Ministry additionally remarked that the nation could introduce its own undisclosed “countermeasures” if the White House occupant carries out his warning, noting that the country was “unafraid” of a potential trade war.

This past Friday, the former president retaliated at Beijing’s move to strengthen its regulations for exports of rare earth minerals, alleging Beijing of “becoming very hostile” and attempting to hold the world “under its control”.

Furthermore, he warned to pull out of a planned summit with Beijing’s head of state Xi, which was set for a summit in South Korea later this month.

His statements on Friday shook global markets, with the benchmark US stock index falling by 2.7%, marking its steepest fall since earlier this year.

The president’s words revived fears of a commercial dispute between the US and China.

This past spring, the respective governments had agreed to eliminate high import duties on each other’s goods, which had raised the prospect of bilateral trade stopping between the two nations.

Consequently, US tariffs on Chinese imports incurring an added 30% levy compared with the beginning of 2025, while US goods entering the Chinese market incur a import levy.

Beijing’s recent statements – released by the relevant government department in the form of formal replies to media inquiries – mirrored rhetoric from the zenith of the latest commercial tensions.

Officials denounced American limits on exports on semiconductors and chips while defending China’s own restrictions on exports on key elements as “normal actions” to ensure state interests and that of the global community.

Their representative said that for “an extended period”, the US had “overstretched the concept of national security, misused export control measures and “adopted discriminatory practices against China.

“Resorting to import duty warnings is not the correct approach to deal with Beijing,” the official commented.

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

Recently, the Chinese government revealed it was strengthening overseas sale regulations on key elements and additional substances essential to advanced tech manufacturing.

This was seen as a important measure, as the nation refines about 90% of the world’s rare earths, which are utilized in goods such as renewable energy components and handheld devices.

Latest statements from the US and China are being seen by some as a method of enhancing bargaining power prior to forthcoming discussions.

Is not yet known whether a talks between the former president and China’s leader, planned at a high-level meeting in South Korea in the coming weeks, will go ahead.