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Donald Trump’s newest ultimatum to impose an further complete levy on items imported from China has been called a “classic case” of United States’ contradictory behavior, according to the Beijing administration.

A representative of the ministry additionally remarked that China could implement its own undisclosed “retaliatory steps” if the White House occupant carries out his threat, noting that the country was “not afraid” of a potential commercial battle.

On Friday, Donald Trump responded at Beijing’s move to reinforce its policies for overseas sales of rare earths, accusing China of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the world “captive”.

Additionally, he threatened to withdraw from a scheduled summit with Chinese leader Xi, which was set for a summit in South Korea later this month.

Trump’s comments on that day shook stock exchanges, with the benchmark US stock index falling by nearly three percent, marking its biggest drop since last spring.

These statements reignited concerns of a trade war between the United States and China.

This past spring, the respective governments had consented to drop triple-digit tariffs on each other’s imports, which had raised the prospect of trade halting between the economic powers.

This left, US tariffs on products from China subject to an additional 30% levy compared with the year’s onset, while US goods entering China are subject to a import levy.

Beijing’s recent statements – released by the Commerce Ministry in the form of official answers to journalist’s questions – echoed rhetoric from the peak of the ongoing trade dispute.

Officials denounced American limits on exports on semiconductors and chips while justifying China’s own restrictions on exports on key elements as “normal actions” to ensure state interests and that of all nations.

The spokesperson remarked that for “an extended period”, the America had “overstretched the concept of state security, abused export control measures and “implemented” unfair treatments against Beijing.

“Resorting to tariff threats is not the proper method to engage with the Chinese government,” their representative commented.

“Beijing’s stance” on a trade conflict has consistently been steady: we are not seeking one, but we are unafraid of one.”

Last week, China declared it was tightening overseas sale regulations on rare earths and additional substances vital for advanced tech manufacturing.

This was seen as a significant step, as the nation handles about the vast majority of the global rare earth supply, which are employed in items such as photovoltaic modules and handheld devices.

New remarks from both governments are being viewed by some as a strategy of bolstering negotiating stances in preparation for forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a summit between Trump and China’s leader, planned at a high-level meeting in South Korea in the coming weeks, will still proceed.