China Accuses US of "Double Standards" After Trump Announces 100% Tariff Increase

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump announced an additional 100 percent tariff on the world's second-largest economy.

"The relevant US statement is a typical example of 'double standards'," an unnamed Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said in a statement published online.

Trump declared on Friday that he would impose extra levies, scheduled to take effect on November 1, in response to what he described as "extraordinarily aggressive" new Chinese export restrictions on rare-earth minerals.

He additionally threatened to cancel an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping planned for later this month.

On Sunday, Beijing claimed that the US has been escalating economic measures against China since September.

"These actions have severely damaged China's interests and seriously undermined the atmosphere of the economic and trade negotiations between the two countries," the commerce ministry stated.

"Constantly threatening high tariffs is not the appropriate way to engage with China."