BEIJING: China signaled Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100 percent tariff threat from President Donald Trump, urging the US to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats. “China’s stance is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.” The response came two days after Trump threatened to jack up the tax on imports from China by Nov. 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, a key ingredient for many consumer and military products.

The tariffs will go into effect Nov. 1 or sooner, depending on China’s response, according to Trump.

US President Donald Trump unveiled a new 100% tariff on Chinese goods and threatened to cancel a meeting with Xi Jinping, escalating tensions just weeks after fresh export curbs…