China issued a sharp fight back at Washington on Saturday, declaring that it neither plots nor participates in wars, just hours after US President Donald Trump pushed NATO allies to tighten the screws on Moscow.
Speaking during a state visit to Slovenia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi cautioned that conflicts cannot solve global problems and warned that sanctions often make them worse, according to Reuters. His remarks came in response to Trump’s latest appeal for a coordinated effort against Russia’s energy trade.
Earlier the same day, Trump urged NATO nations to stop buying Russian oil and to levy tariffs, potentially up to 100 percent, on China, one of Moscow’s largest energy customers.
In a letter addressed to “NATO members and the world,” Trump wrote:
“I am ready to impose major sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations agree and begin to do the same, and when they all stop buying oil from Russia. NATO’s commitment has been far from 100 percent, and the purchase of Russian oil by some has been shocking. It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia.”
Calling for unity, Trump said he was prepared to act once the alliance stood together: “Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when.”
Washington has already slapped steep tariffs on India for importing Russian crude but has yet to extend similar measures to Beijing, a country that considers itself Moscow’s “all-weather” partner.
The US has also been pressing the Group of Seven, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the US, most of whom are NATO members, to escalate pressure by targeting India and China, both significant buyers of Russian oil.
“Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin’s war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told G7 finance ministers in a recent joint statement.
Wang Yi, meanwhile, has maintained that dialogue remains the best way forward. Earlier this week, he spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the importance of keeping both countries on track “without deviating from their courses or losing speed,” according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.
