BEIJING — BEIJING (AP) — China signaled Sunday that it could not again down within the face of a 100% tariff menace from President Donald Trump, urging the U.S. to resolve variations via negotiations as an alternative of threats.

“China’s stance is constant,” the Commerce Ministry mentioned in a press release posted on-line. “We don’t need a tariff warfare however we aren’t afraid of 1.”

The response got here two days after Trump threatened to jack up the tax on imports from China by Nov. 1 in response to new Chinese language restrictions on the export of uncommon earths, a key ingredient for a lot of client and navy merchandise.

The backwards and forwards threatens to derail a doable assembly between Trump and Chinese language chief Xi Jinping and finish a truce in a tariff warfare during which new tariffs from each side briefly topped 100% in April.

Trump has raised taxes on imports from many U.S. buying and selling companions this yr, in search of to win concessions in return for tariff reductions. China has been one of many few nations that hasn’t backed down, counting on its financial clout.

“Regularly resorting to the specter of excessive tariffs is just not the proper strategy to get together with China,” the Commerce Ministry mentioned in its on-line submit, which was introduced as a collection of solutions from an unnamed spokesperson to questions from unspecified media shops.

The assertion referred to as for addressing any considerations via dialogue.

“If the U.S. facet obstinately insists on its follow, China will be sure you resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legit rights and pursuits,” the submit mentioned.

Each side accuse the opposite of violating the spirit of the truce by imposing new restrictions on commerce.

Trump mentioned China is “turning into very hostile” and that it’s holding the world captive by proscribing entry to uncommon earth metals and magnets.

China’s new laws require international corporations to get particular approval to export gadgets that comprise even small traces of uncommon earths components sourced from China. These important minerals are wanted in a broad vary of merchandise, from jet engines, radar programs and electrical automobiles to client electronics together with laptops and telephones.

China accounts for almost 70% of the world’s uncommon earths mining and controls roughly 90% of worldwide uncommon earths processing. Entry to the fabric is a key level of rivalry in commerce talks between Washington and Beijing.

The ministry submit mentioned that export licenses could be granted for legit civilian makes use of, noting that the minerals even have navy purposes.

The Chinese language Commerce Ministry submit mentioned that the U.S. has launched a number of new restrictions in current weeks, together with increasing the variety of Chinese language corporations topic to U.S. export controls.

It additionally mentioned that the U.S. is ignoring Chinese language considerations by going ahead with new port charges on Chinese language ships that take impact Tuesday. China introduced Friday that it could impose port charges on American ships in response.