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The former US president’s most recent threat to enforce an additional 100% tariff on items imported from China has been described as a “classic case” of American hypocrisy, as stated by the Beijing administration.

A official from China’s Commerce Ministry further commented that China could enact its own undisclosed “responsive actions” if the American leader carries out his warning, adding that the country was “not afraid” of a possible trade war.

Last Friday, Trump hit back at China’s decision to strengthen its rules for exports of rare earth minerals, charging China of “becoming very hostile” and attempting to hold the international market “under its control”.

Furthermore, he threatened to cancel a planned summit with Beijing’s head of state Xi Jinping, which was set for a conference in the Republic of Korea later this month.

Trump’s comments on last Friday rattled stock exchanges, with the S&P 500 closing down 2.7%, marking its largest decline since earlier this year.

The president’s words reignited apprehensions of a trade war between the two economic giants.

This past spring, the two sides had reached an agreement to eliminate triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods, which had led to concerns of trade halting between the economic powers.

Consequently, US tariffs on products from China facing an extra thirty percent tariff compared with the year’s onset, while American products entering the country incur a 10% tariff.

China’s latest remarks – published by the Ministry of Commerce in the format of written responses to press queries – reflected language from the height of the ongoing trade dispute.

They criticised US export restrictions on semiconductors and chips while defending Beijing’s restrictions on exports on rare earths as “routine measures” to safeguard national security and that of the global community.

The spokesperson said that for “an extended period”, the America had “overstretched the concept of national security, abused overseas sale restrictions and “enforced” biased policies against the Chinese nation.

“Resorting to import duty warnings is not the right way to deal with the Chinese government,” their representative commented.

“Beijing’s stance” on a import duty dispute has consistently been consistent: we do not want one, but we are unafraid of one.”

The previous week, Beijing revealed it was reinforcing export controls on rare earths and other materials critical for high-technology production.

The action was viewed as a significant step, as the state handles about the vast majority of the global rare earth supply, which are used in goods such as renewable energy components and mobile phones.

New remarks from the US and China are being viewed by analysts as a strategy of enhancing bargaining power prior to future trade talks.

Remains uncertain whether a summit between Donald Trump and China’s leader, scheduled at a high-level meeting in the Republic of Korea before month’s end, will still proceed.