“The US should not underestimate China's determination and will.”

Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan has said that the United States should not believe that increasing tariffs can make the Chinese government give in to US demands in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.

Bloomberg news agency quoted Mr. Zhong Shan's statement as emphasizing: "There is a view in the US that as long as the US continues to increase tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing will make concessions. However, the US should not underestimate China's determination and will."

“China has been bullied from the outside many times in its history, but it has never surrendered even under the most difficult conditions. China does not want a trade war, but will find ways to deal with it when it breaks out.”

Zhong Shan’s statement comes as China and the United States continue to impose new tariffs on each other’s goods in September 2018. So far, there are no signs that either side will back down. The trade war between China and the United States is threatening to cut into the global growth outlook for 2018.

Earlier on September 9, US President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to impose tariffs on $267 billion worth of Chinese imports if Beijing retaliates against recent US measures in the trade war between the two sides. Reuters reported that while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump also said that China was not ready to reach a trade agreement. "China wants to make a deal but I think they're not ready and we've canceled some negotiations," he said.