China has sharply rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal that NATO impose tariffs of 50 to 100 per cent on Beijing over its purchase of Russian oil, warning that such moves would only inflame global tensions.
Speaking at a press conference in Ljubljana after meeting Slovenia’s deputy prime minister, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated that Beijing does not take part in wars and instead promotes peace talks and political solutions. “China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang said, according to China Daily.
Wang called for strengthening multilateral mechanisms and safeguarding the principles of the UN Charter, saying China and Europe should “cooperate rather than confront each other” in a period marked by global instability.
His comments came just hours after Trump posted on Truth Social urging NATO allies to hit China with punitive tariffs until Russia’s war in Ukraine ends. Trump argued that Beijing’s purchases of Russian oil weaken Western leverage over Moscow and that “powerful tariffs will break that grip.”
The proposal follows a series of escalating statements from Trump, who earlier this month accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring against” the U.S. — though he insisted his personal relationship with Xi remained “very good.”
China’s measured but firm response suggests it is positioning itself as a global voice for dialogue while bracing for further economic pressure from Washington and its allies. Whether NATO will adopt Trump’s proposal remains uncertain, but analysts warn that such tariffs could deepen the rift between China and the West at a moment when Beijing is seeking to strengthen its economic and diplomatic ties with Europe.