FILE PHOTO: A U.S. dollar banknote featuring American founding father Benjamin Franklin and a China's yuan banknote featuring late Chinese chairman Mao Zedong among U.S. and Chinese flags in this illustration picture taken May 20, 2019. Picture taken May 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee/Illustration/File Photo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will fight to the end if the United States decides to escalate trade tensions, the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to levy additional tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods.

The United States’ use of “ultimate pressure” has caused serious setbacks to trade negotiations, and the future direction of talks would depend on the Washington, Gao Feng, the ministry’s spokesman, said at a weekly media briefing.

China will have to adopt the necessary countermeasures if the United States decides to unilaterally escalate trade tensions, Gao said.