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The former US president’s newest warning to introduce an extra complete levy on products from China has been called a “prime illustration” of US double standards, per the Beijing administration.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson further commented that the nation could enact its own unspecified “countermeasures” if the US President follows through on his warning, emphasizing that the country was “fearless” of a potential commercial battle.

On Friday, Trump retaliated at Beijing’s move to tighten its rules for overseas sales of rare earths, alleging the Chinese leadership of “turning aggressive” and attempting to hold the world “under its control”.

Additionally, he threatened to cancel a scheduled talks with China’s President Xi, which was arranged for a conference in South Korea in the coming weeks.

The former president’s remarks on Friday unsettled global markets, with the S&P 500 share index closing down 2.7%, marking its largest decline since earlier this year.

These statements revived concerns of a trade conflict between the United States and China.

In May, the both nations had consented to remove triple-digit tariffs on each other’s imports, which had raised the prospect of trade halting between the two countries.

As a result, United States levies on Chinese imports incurring an added 30% levy compared with the start of the year, while American products entering the Chinese market incur a ten percent duty.

China’s latest remarks – released by the relevant government department in the format of formal replies to media inquiries – reflected rhetoric from the zenith of the recent trade conflict.

The remarks condemned American limits on exports on semiconductors and chips while defending the country’s own overseas sale regulations on key elements as “normal actions” to protect state interests and that of all nations.

The spokesperson said that for “many years”, the US had “expanded the interpretation” of state security, abused foreign shipment regulations and “enforced” biased policies against China.

“Resorting to trade levy ultimatums is not the correct approach to engage with the Chinese government,” the official stated.

“China’s position on a trade conflict has remained steady: we are not seeking one, but we are unafraid of one.”

The previous week, the Chinese government announced it was tightening overseas sale regulations on rare earth minerals and additional substances essential to advanced tech manufacturing.

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

New remarks from both governments are being viewed by analysts as a method of enhancing bargaining power ahead of forthcoming discussions.

It is unclear whether a summit between the former president and President Xi, scheduled at a high-level meeting in Seoul before month’s end, will take place as planned.