The Chinese government plans to release a white paper laying out its position on trade talks with the U.S., amid uncertainty about whether the two sides will return to the negotiating table and growing concern that the trade war will only continue to escalate.

The position paper is scheduled to be released Sunday morning Beijing time, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. The Chinese government will also hold a press conference.



The trade war continued to escalate this week with no clear exit for China and the U.S.



Beijing threatened to restrict rare-earth mineral exports to the U.S. China controls about 35% of the world's rare-earth reserves, which are critical for a wide-range of key industries including tech, automotive and defense among others. The U.S. is heavily reliant on imports to meet its rare-earth needs and 80% come from China.



The threat to restrict rare-earth minerals comes amid increasingly militaristic rhetoric from Beijing. A commentary in the People's Daily, the country's largest newspaper, cautioned the U.S. not to underestimate China: "Don't say we didn't warn you!"



That phrase was used before China's border war with India in 1962 and prior to the China-Vietnam War in 1979. President Xi Jinping has also called on China to prepare for a "new Long March," a reference to the Communist Party's long -- but ultimately successful -- struggle against nationalist forces during the Chinese civil war.