NextFin news, China’s government on Monday, September 15, 2025, in Beijing, strongly rejected former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent appeal to NATO countries to impose tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese products as punishment for China’s purchases of Russian oil. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned that China would take “firm countermeasures” against such threats, describing the U.S. approach as “nothing but bullying.”
Trump made the tariff threat public on Saturday, September 13, 2025, urging NATO members to punish China’s energy dealings with Russia by imposing steep tariffs, which he said would be “fully withdrawn” once Russia ends its war against Ukraine. Trump claimed that these tariffs would break China’s “strong control, and even grip, over Russia.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi responded on the same weekend, emphasizing that China does not support war and that sanctions only complicate the situation in Ukraine. Speaking in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Wang called for dialogue and multilateral cooperation under United Nations principles, urging China and Europe to work together rather than against each other amid global tensions.
The tariff threats come amid ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions and diplomatic efforts. On Monday, U.S. and Chinese officials met in Madrid, Spain, for trade talks addressing strained relations, including issues like the divestiture deadline for the Chinese-owned app TikTok and Washington’s demands for allies to impose tariffs on China over Russian oil purchases.
Trump’s call to NATO also highlighted concerns over some alliance members, including Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia, continuing to purchase Russian oil despite the conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. administration has previously imposed tariffs on countries like India for similar reasons, with India facing a 50% tariff increase.
The Chinese government’s firm stance against the tariff threats underscores the escalating geopolitical tensions surrounding energy trade and the war in Ukraine. China insists on peaceful resolution through dialogue and opposes coercive economic measures that it views as attempts to isolate it internationally.
These developments reflect the complex interplay of global diplomacy, trade, and security as NATO countries and their allies navigate responses to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and China’s role in energy markets.
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