China says it won’t back down from Trump’s threat to impose 100 percent tariffs – National

China indicated on Sunday that it would not back down in a confrontation Threat of 100 percent tariffs From President Donald Trump, urging the United States to resolve differences through negotiations rather than threats. US Vice President J.D. Vance defended Trump’s position and appeared to be warning China Not to be aggressive in his response.

“China’s position is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted online. “We don’t want a tariff war, but we’re not afraid of it.”

This is China’s first official comment on Trump’s threat to raise taxes on imports from China by November 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, which are vital to a wide range of consumer and military products.

The dispute threatens to derail a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and end a truce in the trade war in which new tariffs on both sides briefly exceeded 100 percent in April.

In response, Vance said Sunday that Trump is committed to protecting America’s economic livelihoods while making the United States more self-sufficient. He said the fact that China has “significant control over vital supplies in the United States of America” ​​is the definition of a national emergency and therefore justifies Trump’s move to impose tough tariffs.

“It’s going to be a delicate dance and a lot of it will depend on how the Chinese respond. If they respond in a very aggressive way, I guarantee you the president of the United States has a lot more cards than the People’s Republic of China,” Vance said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Vance continued: “However, if they are willing to be rational, Donald Trump is always willing to be a rational negotiator. We will find out a lot in the coming weeks about whether China wants to start a trade war with us or whether they actually want to be rational.” “I hope they choose the path of reason. The President of the United States will stand up for America regardless.”

Trump has raised taxes on imports from several US trading partners since taking office in January, seeking concessions. China was one of the few countries that did not back down, relying on its economic influence.

“Repeatedly resorting to the threat of high tariffs is not the right way to get along with China,” the Commerce Department said in its post, which was presented as a series of answers from an unnamed spokesperson to four questions from unidentified media outlets.

The statement called for addressing any concerns through dialogue.

“If the US side stubbornly insists on its practices, China will be sure to resolutely take corresponding measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests,” the post said.

In addition to the 100% tariffs, Trump threatened to impose export controls on what he called “critical software,” without specifying what that meant.

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Both sides accuse the other of violating the spirit of the truce by imposing new restrictions on trade.

Trump said in a social media post that China “has become very hostile” and is holding the world captive by restricting access to rare earth minerals and magnets.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce circular said the United States has imposed several new restrictions in recent weeks, including increasing the number of Chinese companies subject to US export controls.

Regarding rare earths, the ministry said that export licenses would be granted for legitimate civilian uses, noting that the minerals also have military applications.

The new regulations include a requirement that foreign companies obtain Chinese government approval to export items containing rare earths originating in China, regardless of where the products are manufactured.

China accounts for nearly 70 percent of the world’s rare earth mining and controls nearly 90 percent of its global processing. Access to these materials is a major point of contention in trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

Important minerals are used in many products, from jet engines, radar systems and electric vehicles to consumer electronics including laptops and phones. China’s export controls have hurt European and other manufacturers, as well as American manufacturers.

The United States is also ignoring Chinese concerns by moving forward with new port fees on Chinese ships that take effect Tuesday, the Commerce Department statement said. China announced on Friday that it would impose port fees on American ships in response.

—Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

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