“Ready to Fight Trade War to the End,” says China

DID Press: China’s Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday that Beijing is prepared to fight “to the end” to resolve its trade war with the United States but remains open to dialogue.

The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.

“If you want to fight, we will fight to the end; if you want to negotiate, the door is open,” the ministry said in a statement. “The United States cannot demand talks while simultaneously threatening restrictive measures.”

The ministry urged Washington to “correct its mistakes as soon as possible,” demonstrate goodwill in negotiations, and work with China to restore stability in bilateral economic relations.

U.S. officials earlier claimed that China had postponed a scheduled phone call to discuss restrictions on the export of rare earth elements.

Trump later announced that starting November 1, export controls would apply to “all critical software,” though in a follow-up post he struck a softer tone, saying, “Everything will be fine,” adding that the United States “wants to help China.”

Currently, Chinese goods face at least 30 percent U.S. tariffs, while Beijing has imposed retaliatory duties of about 10 percent on US imports.