China accused the Trump administration of committing "economic terrorism" on Thursday, escalating its war of words with the United States amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the White House had "brought huge damage to the economy of other countries and the US itself," spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Thursday.

Lu described US trade policy as "typical economic terrorism, economic hegemonism, and economic unilateralism."

The statement followed similarly ominous rhetoric from Chinese state media, which issued a stern message to Washington on Wednesday: "Don't say we didn't warn you."

The People's Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, used the loaded phrase in a commentary on Wednesday, in which it said that China would "never accept" the US' suppression of Chinese development.

The warning came as China's top economic planning agency suggested it would be willing curb exports of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for high-tech manufacturing.

On May 15, the Trump administration signed an order that potentially banned major Chinese companies, such as technology giant Huawei, from buying vital components such as computer chips from the US.

Many of those chips are made using rare earths, of which China is a major exporter.

"At present, the United States completely overestimates its ability to control the global supply chain and is due to slap itself in the face when it sobers up from its happy, ignorant self-indulgence," said the commentary published under the pseudonym Wuyuehe. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

The phrase has, in the past, been reserved by the Chinese state media for times of serious conflict.

The People's Daily used it in 1962 before going into armed conflict against India and again in 1978 before the Vietnam invasion. More recently, though it has appeared in several People's Daily commentaries on issues ranging from Taiwan to the trade war.

Source: CNN

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