China hits back at US tariff threats, says 'even Washington trades with Russia'

China slams US over trade with Russia

After the Trump administration said it would levy tariffs up to 500% on countries buying sanctioned Russian oil, China has pushed back in response.

Chinese deputy permanent  representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang, refuted accusations made by the US representative against China at a UN Security Council meeting on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine.

“I responded to such accusations on multiple occasions in past meetings. Since the US insists on repeating the same rhetoric, I find it necessary to set the record straight once again," Shuang said.

Addressing the Ukraine crisis, Shuang stated that China is neither the creator of the conflict nor a party to it, and has never supplied lethal weapons to any side involved.

“We have always strictly controlled the export of dual-use items, including drones. Second, the UN Security Council has not imposed sanctions on any party of the conflict," he added.

“China maintains normal trade relations with both Russia and Ukraine, in full compliance with international law and without breaching any international obligations. China’s legitimate and lawful rights and interests must not be infringed upon," he said.

“In fact, the US itself continues to engage in trade with Russia to this day. Why should it be acceptable for the US to do so, but not for others?"

He added that the Ukraine crisis is at a critical juncture, offering a real opportunity for a political resolution. "The US cannot ask China to play a constructive role in ending the conflict while simultaneously smearing and pressuring it," he said.

“We once again urge the US to stop playing the blame game and scapegoating others, and instead contribute positively to efforts for a ceasefire, de-escalation, and the promotion of a dialogue and negotiation," he said.

This comes amid the China's deadline of August 12, to reach a durable tariff agreement with US administration after Beijing and Washington reached preliminary deals in May and June to end escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals.