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Donald Trump’s most recent ultimatum to impose an further 100% tariff on products from China has been labeled a “prime illustration” of United States’ contradictory behavior, according to the China’s leadership.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson additionally remarked that Beijing could enact its own unrevealed “responsive actions” if the American leader executes his warning, noting that the country was “unafraid” of a possible trade conflict.

This past Friday, the former president responded at Beijing’s move to reinforce its rules for exports of rare earths, charging China of “turning aggressive” and attempting to hold the global community “under its control”.

Additionally, he warned to pull out of a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which was set for a meeting in Seoul in the coming weeks.

His statements on Friday rattled stock exchanges, with the S&P 500 share index dropping over two and a half percent, marking its biggest drop since last spring.

The president’s words reignited apprehensions of a trade war between the US and China.

This past spring, the respective governments had reached an agreement to remove high import duties on each other’s imports, which had led to concerns of commerce ceasing between the two nations.

As a result, US tariffs on Chinese goods incurring an additional thirty percent tariff compared with the year’s onset, while American products entering China incur a 10% tariff.

Beijing’s recent statements – released by the Commerce Ministry in the format of written responses to media inquiries – echoed rhetoric from the peak of the recent trade conflict.

They criticised United States controls on chips and semi-conductors while justifying Beijing’s overseas sale regulations on rare earths as “standard procedures” to safeguard domestic safety and that of all nations.

Their representative said that for “an extended period”, the United States had “overstretched the concept of state security, abused foreign shipment regulations and “enforced” discriminatory practices against Beijing.

“Using” import duty warnings is not the proper method to engage with Beijing,” the official said.

“China’s position on a import duty dispute has remained consistent: we wish to avoid one, but we are unafraid of one.”

Recently, Beijing revealed it was reinforcing export controls on rare earths and other materials vital for advanced tech manufacturing.

This move was regarded as a important measure, as the country refines about the vast majority of the global rare earth supply, which are employed in goods such as photovoltaic modules and smartphones.

New remarks from the US and China are being interpreted by some as a means of enhancing bargaining power prior to upcoming negotiations.

Is not yet known whether a meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, planned at a conference in the Republic of Korea before month’s end, will go ahead.