Beijing’s comments come after US Treasury chief said Chinese side would ‘like to pay 100% tariff’ to maintain trade with Russia
China on Wednesday said coercion and pressure tactics “will solve no question,” after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to impose additional tariffs on Beijing if it continues to import oil from Russia.
“China will take reasonable energy safeguard measures according to its own national interest,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing.
“Tariff wall produces no winner, (and) coercion and pressure will solve no question. China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests,” Guo added.
His remarks followed Bessent's comments that the US will not compete with China on sovereignty regarding Russian oil purchases.
"The Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously. We don't want to compete on their sovereignty, so they'd like to pay 100% tariff," Bessent told reporters amid trade talks in Stockholm with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Bessent's remarks came amid US President Donald Trump's threats to impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries maintaining trade with Russia without a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
Regarding the ongoing Washington-Beijing trade talks in Sweden, Guo expressed his hopes for the US to “work with China” to jointly “advance the steady, sound, and sustainable development of China-US relations.”
Beijing and Washington have agreed to extend the truce on tariffs beyond the Aug. 12 deadline, according to China's top trade official Li Chenggang.
