Beijing | Dismissing US President Donald Trump's criticism that India and China are the "primary funders" of the Ukraine war through purchases of Russian oil, Beijing on Wednesday pointed out that America and the European Union are also engaging in trade with Moscow.
Addressing a media briefing here, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned that Beijing will take countermeasures to safeguard its interests if its companies' normal trade with Russia is obstructed, as he rejected Trump's criticism.
“An overwhelming number of countries, including the US and EU, are engaging in trade with Russia,” he said, reminding the American leader that Washington too is indulging in trade with Moscow.
Chinese and Russian companies' normal exchanges and cooperation are in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and market principles, Guo said, adding that Beijing's actions are not targeted against any third party and "should not be interfered with and influenced".
He also reiterated that China has always maintained an “objective and just position” on the Ukraine crisis and consistently called for peace talks.
“China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests,” the spokesperson said.
In his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump accused China and India of being the "primary funders" of the ongoing Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil.
He also criticised the EU for its continued imports of Russian energy but was conspicuously silent on Washington's own trade with Moscow.
“Inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products... Think of it, they're funding the war against themselves," Trump said, adding that he was not happy about it when he found this out.
The Trump administration has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India as a penalty for its purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on the country by the US to 50 per cent, among the highest in the world.
Last month, India also pointed out that both the US and the EU are continuing their trade relations with Russia.
"Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said.
While the Europe-Russia trade includes energy, fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery and transport equipment, the US continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers, as well as chemicals, it said.