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The former US president’s newest threat to enforce an further full import duty on Chinese goods has been called a “classic case” of US double standards, per the Beijing administration.

A official from China’s Commerce Ministry further commented that China could introduce its own unrevealed “countermeasures” if the White House occupant executes his pledge, emphasizing that the country was “unafraid” of a possible trade war.

Last Friday, the former president hit back at China’s decision to reinforce its regulations for foreign shipments of rare earths, accusing Beijing of “becoming very hostile” and attempting to hold the global community “under its control”.

Furthermore, he threatened to pull out of a planned summit with Beijing’s head of state Xi, which was arranged for a summit in Seoul in the coming weeks.

His statements on last Friday unsettled financial markets, with the S&P 500 falling by 2.7%, marking its biggest drop since April.

These statements revived fears of a trade war between the US and China.

This past spring, the both nations had consented to drop significant levies on each other’s imports, which had created the possibility of trade halting between the two countries.

Consequently, US tariffs on Chinese imports facing an additional thirty percent tariff compared with the start of the year, while US goods entering the Chinese market are subject to a 10% tariff.

The most recent comments from China – published by the Commerce Ministry in the manner of written responses to media inquiries – mirrored terminology from the zenith of the ongoing trade dispute.

The remarks condemned United States controls on chips and semi-conductors while justifying China’s own export controls on rare earth minerals as “normal actions” to protect state interests and that of all nations.

Their representative stated that for “an extended period”, the United States had “overstretched the concept of state security, abused overseas sale restrictions and “implemented” biased policies against China.

“Resorting to import duty warnings is not the correct approach to interact with the Chinese government,” their representative commented.

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

Recently, Beijing revealed it was reinforcing export controls on key elements and other materials essential to high-technology production.

This was seen as a significant step, as the nation handles about ninety percent of the planet’s critical minerals, which are used in items such as solar panels and smartphones.

New remarks from the US and China are being seen by some as a method of bolstering negotiating stances ahead of future trade talks.

It is unclear whether a meeting between Trump and President Xi, scheduled at a conference in the Republic of Korea in the coming weeks, will still proceed.