Beijing said on Sunday it is “not afraid of” a trade war with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened sweeping new tariffs and export restrictions on China, the Global Times reported.
A Commerce Ministry spokesperson said “willful threats of high tariffs” are not the right way to engage with China, stressing that Beijing’s position on the issue remains consistent.
“We do not want [a trade war], but we are not afraid of it,” the spokesperson said. “China firmly safeguards its national security and international common security, takes a just and reasonable principled position, and implements export control measures prudently and moderately.”
Trump’s news tariffs
The remarks followed Trump’s announcement Friday that Washington would impose new tariffs of 100 percent on Chinese imports and restrict the export of “critical software” beginning November 1, 2025, or sooner if Beijing takes additional actions.
Trump made the comments on his social media platform Truth Social, saying the decision was in response to China’s “unprecedented” move to tighten restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals.
China expanded its rare earth export curbs on Thursday to include processing and manufacturing technologies, as well as cooperation with foreign companies, without prior government approval.
The Commerce Ministry stated that the measures are designed to safeguard national security by regulating the exports of rare earth-related technologies, including mining, smelting, separation, and recycling.
