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 United States to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats. U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s position and seemed to warn China not to be aggressive in its response.

“China’s stance is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry wrote in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.”

It was China’s first official comment on Trump’s threat to jack up the tax on imports from China by Nov. 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, which are vital to a wide range of consumer and military products.

The back and forth threatens to derail a possible meeting betwee

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