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Donald Trump’s newest threat to enforce an additional complete levy on items imported from China has been called a “classic case” of United States’ contradictory behavior, according to the Chinese government.

A Commerce Ministry spokesperson further commented that Beijing could implement its own unspecified “countermeasures” if the US President executes his pledge, emphasizing that the country was “unafraid” of a looming commercial battle.

On Friday, the former president hit back at China’s decision to tighten its rules for foreign shipments of critical elements, accusing Beijing of “adopting a confrontational stance” and attempting to hold the international market “under its control”.

He also warned to cancel a planned summit with Beijing’s head of state Xi Jinping, which was set for a summit in South Korea later this month.

His statements on last Friday shook financial markets, with the S&P 500 falling by nearly three percent, marking its biggest drop since last spring.

His comments renewed fears of a trade war between the US and China.

This past spring, the both nations had reached an agreement to eliminate triple-digit tariffs on each other’s imports, which had led to concerns of commerce ceasing between the two countries.

This left, US tariffs on Chinese goods facing an extra thirty percent tariff compared with the year’s onset, while items from the United States entering China face a ten percent duty.

The most recent comments from China – published by the Ministry of Commerce in the form of written responses to press queries – echoed rhetoric from the height of the ongoing trade dispute.

Officials denounced United States controls on semiconductors and chips while supporting the country’s own restrictions on exports on key elements as “normal actions” to protect national security and that of all nations.

Their representative remarked that for “many years”, the US had “expanded the interpretation” of domestic safety, abused foreign shipment regulations and “enforced” unfair treatments against China.

“Using” trade levy ultimatums is not the correct approach to engage with Beijing,” the official stated.

“The nation’s view” on a tariff war has remained unchanging: we do not want one, but we are unafraid of one.”

Recently, China announced it was strengthening export controls on rare earth minerals and other materials essential to advanced tech manufacturing.

The action was viewed as a key move, as the country refines about ninety percent of the global rare earth supply, which are used in products such as renewable energy components and smartphones.

Latest statements from both governments are being interpreted by analysts as a strategy of bolstering negotiating stances in preparation for future trade talks.

Is not yet known whether a summit between Donald Trump and China’s leader, scheduled at a summit in the Republic of Korea in the coming weeks, will go ahead.