A view of Xiamen Port in East China's Fujian Province on August 12, 2025 Photo: VCG

 
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Monday the Trump administration would not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods to halt China's purchases of Russian oil unless European countries hit China and India with steep duties of their own, Reuters reported.

Bessent claimed in a joint interview with Reuters and Bloomberg that European countries needed to play a stronger role in cutting off Russian oil revenues and bringing its war in Ukraine to an end.

"We expect the Europeans to do their share now, and we are not moving forward without the Europeans," Bessent claimed, when asked whether the US would impose Russian oil-related tariffs on Chinese goods after President Donald Trump slapped an additional 25 percent duties on Indian imports.

Bessent criticized purchases of Russian oil by some European countries, while others buy petroleum products refined in India from Russian crude purchased at discounted rates, claiming that they were helping finance a conflict in their own back yard, according to Reuters.

The EU has found the demands by Trump asking European countries stop importing Russian oil and gas and raise tariffs on Chinese goods "unacceptable" as it "threatens to further strain relations between China and the Europeans," French media outlet Le Monde reported on Monday.

China's Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) slammed reported US moves to press G7 and NATO members to collectively impose additional tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil on Monday.

Asked to comment on reports that the US has recently urged G7 and NATO members to collectively impose additional tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil, in a bid to pressure China to play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday's press briefing that China's normal economic and energy cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia, is legitimate, lawful, and above reproach.

"The US move is a typical act of unilateral bullying and economic coercion, which seriously undermines international trade rules and threatens the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains," Lin said.

Lin noted that since the very first day of the crisis, China has been taking an objective and impartial stance, insisting on promoting peace talks. "We firmly oppose certain parties directing the issue at China, and we firmly oppose the imposition of unlawful unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction on China," he said, adding that if China's legitimate rights and interests are harmed, China will take resolute countermeasures and firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.

The MOFCOM, in a separate statement, said on Monday that China has always opposed the imposition of economic and trade restrictions on China under the pretext of so-called "Russia-related" issues.

The US is attempting to coerce relevant parties by imposing "secondary tariffs" on China under the pretext of purchasing Russian oil. This is a typical act of unilateral bullying and economic coercion, a serious violation of the consensus reached during the call between the leaders of China and the US, and may have a serious impact on the stability of global trade and industry and supply chains, the spokesperson noted in a statement.

"China firmly opposes this," the spokesperson said. "If any party harms China's interests, China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests."

Global Times