China calls US actions ‘unilateral bullying’ after defending Russian oil imports

Beijing: China on Thursday rejected US criticism of its continued purchases of Russian oil, calling its trade with Moscow “legitimate” and accusing Washington of engaging in “unilateral bullying”.

The remarks followed comments by US President Donald Trump, who said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to halt Russian oil imports and that he expected China to do the same. Trump accused both nations of indirectly funding the ongoing war in Ukraine through energy transactions with Moscow.

Asked to respond, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing conducts “normal, legitimate economic, trade, and energy cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia.” He warned that China would take “firm countermeasures” if its interests were harmed, describing US actions as “a typical example of unilateral bullying and economic coercion.”

Beijing has maintained strong economic ties with Moscow throughout the Ukraine conflict and has not called for Russia’s withdrawal. Western governments have repeatedly accused China of offering political and economic support to the Kremlin.

China’s defence of its oil imports comes as tensions rise between Beijing and Washington over new trade restrictions and tariffs. On Thursday, Beijing also criticised recent US moves to expand export controls and impose port fees on Chinese vessels, calling the measures “profoundly detrimental” to ongoing trade talks.

While bilateral relations have somewhat stabilised since their peak in previous years, a fresh round of disputes has rekindled friction. After China imposed new controls on rare earth exports, Trump announced an additional 100-percent tariff on Chinese goods effective from 1 November.

The US government had earlier imposed port fees on Chinese-built and operated ships under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, which allows Washington to penalise trade practices deemed unfair. Beijing retaliated by levying its own “special port fees” on American ships, with both measures taking effect this week.

Commerce ministry spokesperson He Yongqian accused Washington of disregarding “China’s sincerity in consultations” and causing “severe damage” to bilateral trade relations. “The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction with and resolutely opposes the series of actions taken by the US side,” she said, urging Washington to “rectify its erroneous practices”.

Meanwhile, China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao, during a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beijing, blamed the United States for igniting the latest trade dispute. He stressed the need for both sides to “meet halfway” to preserve the stability of China-US trade relations, while reiterating China’s openness to foreign investment.