Beijing: China has responded to US President Donald Trump’s proposal that NATO impose 50–100% tariffs on Beijing over its purchase of Russian oil, reiterating its commitment to peace and multilateral diplomacy.
Speaking at a press conference in Ljubljana after meeting Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that wars do not solve problems and sanctions only complicate international disputes. “China does not participate in or plan wars. What China does is encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang said, according to China Daily.
Wang also called for strengthened multilateralism and mechanisms that uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He highlighted the current international environment as being marked by intertwined chaos and continuous conflicts. “China and Europe should be friends rather than rivals, and should cooperate rather than confront each other. Making the right choices amid the greatest changes in a century demonstrates the responsibilities both sides should fulfill towards history and the people,” he said, as reported by Global Times.
The remarks follow Trump’s statement on Truth Social, in which he proposed that NATO impose 50–100% tariffs on China until the Russia–Ukraine conflict is resolved. “China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip,” Trump wrote. He framed the move as a way to end what he called a “deadly, but ridiculous, war.”
Earlier, Trump accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring against” the United States, a claim made after China’s largest-ever military parade on September 3, which was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite the accusation, Trump later said his personal ties with the Chinese leadership remained “very good.”
China’s response underscores its continued stance on promoting diplomacy and avoiding military escalation amid rising tensions with the United States over Russia and global trade.
