China has criticized the United States for what it called “double standards” following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose an additional 100 pc tariff on Chinese goods in response to Beijing’s alleged rare earth export control measures.
“The relevant US statement is a typical example of ‘double standards’,” said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
These actions, the Chinese Minister said, have “severely harmed China’s interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade talks between the two countries.”
The commerce ministry said that Trump’s threat of tariffs at every turn is “not the right approach to engaging with China.”
Beijing had earlier defended its new export control measures on heavy rare earth magnets, describing them as a “legitimate” policy decision. At the same time, it emphasized that it remained open to dialogue with all countries.
The remarks came after President Trump announced plans to impose a 100 pc tariff on Chinese imports, citing Beijing’s reported letters to several countries informing them of impending export controls on rare earth elements.
In response to what he called an “unexpected” move by China, Trump said he no longer saw a reason to proceed with a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea later this month.
He warned that the US also has monopoly positions that are “much stronger and more far-reaching than China”.