US Tariffs: China Ready to Fight 'To the End'

On Tuesday, China declared its readiness to fight "to the end" if necessary, while remaining open to discussions following President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs on Friday. "If you want to fight, we will fight to the end. If you want to negotiate, our door remains open," stated a spokesperson from the Ministry of Commerce in a press release.

Mr. Trump announced on Friday that the United States would impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods, effective November 1 "or sooner," adding to existing tariffs. He cited Beijing's previous announcement of new controls on the export of rare earth technology as the reason for this decision.

China is the world's leading producer of these essential materials used in digital technology, automotive, energy, and military applications. Rare earths are a major point of contention in the ongoing trade dispute between China and the United States.

The Commerce Ministry spokesperson mentioned various rounds of negotiations held in 2025 between American and Chinese officials aimed at ending the escalating tariffs since Mr. Trump's return to the White House and finding a resolution. "The United States cannot both seek dialogue and threaten to impose new restrictions. That is not how you talk to China," he emphasized.

The spokesperson defended the new regulations on rare earth technology exports as a means for the government to better control export practices, insisting that they do "not constitute an export ban." "Export requests that meet existing requirements will continue to be granted licenses as before, and we will maintain both security and stability in global industrial and supply chains," he added.

China and the United States have held several discussions to ease tensions. Negotiations in Madrid in September resulted in an agreement regarding the transfer of the TikTok platform and appeared to cool down relations. The spokesperson referenced this to indicate China's ongoing commitment to dialogue.

"The last four rounds of economic and trade negotiations have clearly demonstrated that China and the United States can find solutions to problems based on mutual respect and equal consultations," he stated, noting that working discussions had taken place the previous Monday as part of the bilateral economic consultation mechanism.

China informed the United States prior to the announcement of the new controls on rare earth technologies, according to the spokesperson. Since the Madrid meeting, "the American side continues to impose new restrictions against China, severely harming its interests and greatly disrupting the atmosphere of bilateral economic and trade negotiations," he concluded.