China pushes back on new tariff threat by US

China signalled on Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100% tariff threat from President Donald Trump, urging the US to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats.

- Associated Press

US Vice President JD Vance defended Trump's position and seemed to warn China not to be aggressive in its response.

“China's stance is consistent,” the commerce ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.”

It was China's first official comment on Trump's threat to jack up the tax 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 back and forth threatens to derail a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and end a truce in a trade war in which new tariffs from both sides briefly topped 100% in April.

In response, Vance said on 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 “so much control over critical supply in the United States of America” is the definition of a national emergency and therefore justifies Trump's move to impose tough tariffs.