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Trump’s latest ultimatum to introduce an additional 100% tariff on items imported from China has been labeled a “prime illustration” of American hypocrisy, per the Chinese government.

A representative of the ministry additionally remarked that the nation could implement its own unspecified “responsive actions” if the US President follows through on his pledge, adding that the country was “fearless” of a potential trade conflict.

On Friday, Trump responded at Beijing’s move to strengthen its regulations for overseas sales of critical elements, accusing China of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the global community “captive”.

He also vowed to pull out of a scheduled meeting with Beijing’s head of state Xi Jinping, which was set for a conference in Seoul in the coming weeks.

Trump’s comments on Friday rattled global markets, with the S&P 500 falling by nearly three percent, marking its biggest drop since April.

These statements reignited apprehensions of a trade conflict between the two economic giants.

Earlier this year, the respective governments had consented to drop triple-digit tariffs on each other’s imports, which had led to concerns of trade halting between the two nations.

Consequently, US tariffs on Chinese goods subject to an additional 30% levy compared with the beginning of 2025, while American products entering the Chinese market incur a import levy.

Beijing’s recent statements – released by the Ministry of Commerce in the form of formal replies to journalist’s questions – reflected language from the zenith of the latest commercial tensions.

The remarks condemned United States controls on chips and semi-conductors while justifying the country’s own export controls on rare earth minerals as “standard procedures” to ensure domestic safety and that of all nations.

Their representative stated that for “many years”, the United States had “overstretched the concept of national security, exploited export control measures and “adopted discriminatory practices against the Chinese nation.

“Resorting to tariff threats is not the right way to interact with the Chinese government,” their representative commented.

“The nation’s view” on a trade conflict has always been unchanging: we do not want one, but we are not afraid of one.”

Recently, China revealed it was reinforcing foreign shipment restrictions on rare earths and further resources vital for high-technology production.

This move was regarded as a key move, as the state refines about the vast majority of the planet’s critical minerals, which are employed in items such as renewable energy components and handheld devices.

New remarks from the US and China are being interpreted by some as a means of bolstering negotiating stances ahead of upcoming negotiations.

Is not yet known whether a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, scheduled at a conference in South Korea later this month, will still proceed.