New Delhi, April 11 -- The US tariff rate on Chinese imports now effectively totals 145 percent, a White House official said recently. Meanwhile, China warned that it will not flinch when it comes to a trade and tariff war.

On Friday, China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held discussions with his Saudi Arabian and South African counterparts to exchange views on responding to the United States' "reciprocal tariffs".

China is open to dialogue with the US but this must be on the basis of mutual respect and equality, an official said. The statement came a day after US President Donald Trump told media that "China wants to make a deal. They just don't know how quite to go about it."

Trump has now raised the tariff on Chinese goods five tim...