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The former US president’s newest warning to introduce an additional 100% tariff on items imported from China has been described as a “classic case” of US double standards, as stated by the Beijing administration.

A representative of the ministry further commented that China could introduce its own undisclosed “retaliatory steps” if the White House occupant executes his threat, noting that the country was “not afraid” of a possible commercial battle.

This past Friday, Donald Trump retaliated at Beijing’s move to tighten its rules for overseas sales of rare earths, charging China of “turning aggressive” and attempting to hold the international market “captive”.

Furthermore, he vowed to withdraw from a arranged meeting with Beijing’s head of state President Xi, which was arranged for a conference in Seoul later this month.

His statements on Friday unsettled global markets, with the S&P 500 share index dropping nearly three percent, marking its steepest fall since earlier this year.

These statements revived concerns of a commercial dispute between the United States and China.

Earlier this year, the two sides had agreed to remove significant levies on each other’s imports, which had raised the prospect of bilateral trade stopping between the two nations.

As a result, American import duties on products from China facing an added thirty percent tariff compared with the start of the year, while US goods entering the Chinese market are subject to a import levy.

Beijing’s recent statements – published by the relevant government department in the format of written responses to media inquiries – reflected terminology from the height of the latest commercial tensions.

The remarks condemned American limits on exports on electronic components while supporting Beijing’s restrictions on exports on key elements as “routine measures” to ensure national security and that of every country.

Their representative said that for “an extended period”, the US had “overstretched the concept of domestic safety, misused foreign shipment regulations and “enforced” biased policies against the Chinese nation.

“Turning to” import duty warnings is not the right way to deal with China,” the official said.

“Beijing’s stance” on a trade conflict has always been consistent: we wish to avoid one, but we are fearless of one.”

Last week, China revealed it was strengthening export controls on rare earth minerals and additional substances critical for advanced tech manufacturing.

The action was viewed as a key move, as the nation refines about ninety percent of the global rare earth supply, which are utilized in items such as solar panels and smartphones.

Latest statements from Washington and Beijing are being seen by some as a method of strengthening positions ahead of upcoming negotiations.

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