The current tit-for-tat between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump sees both nations asserting that the ball is now in their court and that another increase in import duties is imminent.

US Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that the outcome would "depend on how the Chinese respond" after Trump indicated that he was open to reaching a deal with Beijing. After launching what it saw to be retaliatory actions, China's Foreign Ministry clarified hours later that Beijing will follow Washington's lead on what to do next.

At a routine briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian declared, "China will firmly take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests if the US continues on its wrong course." Chinese officials have stated that there may be "exemptions" to allow commerce, but they have not yet responded to Trump's threat of imposing 100% tariffs over their most recent rare-earth restrictions.

The Trump-Xi meeting "will still be on," according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated on Monday that there had been "substantial communication over the weekend." He anticipated staff-level discussions between the US and China this week, as well as actions by the Trump administration to rally US allies to exert pressure on Beijing and threaten "straight brute force countermeasures" if Beijing does not take action.

China vs. the globe, Bessent declared. They have aimed a bazooka at the global supply chains and industrial foundation. And we will not have it, you know.