China said on Tuesday it was ready to “fight to the end” in a trade war with the United States after President Donald Trump said he would impose an additional 100 percent tariff on the world’s second-largest economy.

“On the matter of tariff wars and trade wars, China’s position remains consistent,” an unnamed commerce ministry spokesperson said.

“If you wish to fight, we shall fight to the end; if you wish to negotiate, our door remains open.”

Concerns spiked over the weekend that the trade war between the world’s top two economies will worsen after Trump announced extra 100 percent tariffs on all Chinese goods.

The move, he said, was in response to Beijing’s announcement last week of sweeping new export controls in the strategic field of rare earths — currently dominated by China.

His announcement on Friday rattled markets and called into question a potential upcoming meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea.

Trump’s statement also said the United States would impose export controls “on any and all critical software” from November 1.

Beijing’s commerce ministry spokesperson said China wanted to “reiterate that export control measures concerning rare earths and related items constitute legitimate actions by the Chinese government to improve its export control system in accordance with laws and regulations”.

“As a responsible major power, China has consistently and resolutely safeguarded its own national security and international collective security,” the spokesperson added.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, from October 31 to November 1, 2025. However, this meeting is taking place amid renewed trade tensions between the two countries, leading to some uncertainty. 

Key developments surrounding the meeting include:

• Tariff threats: Trump initially threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports and suggested he might cancel the meeting in response to new Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals.
• De-escalation: On October 13, 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that tensions had “substantially de-escalated” after extensive communication between the two countries over the weekend.
• Meeting confirmed: Despite the earlier threats, Bessent confirmed that the meeting is still expected to happen. On October 15, he reaffirmed that Trump was ready to meet with Xi.
• Negotiations: Officials from both countries are in contact to finalize the meeting details and address the trade issues. In a bid to manage tensions, both sides have held working-level meetings and announced a 90-day tariff extension.
• Future engagement: The White House has also announced that Trump has accepted an invitation to visit Beijing in early 2026, with Xi also invited to Washington later that year.