The US Senate has proposed legislation that would impose tariffs of up to 100% on major Russian oil and gas customers.
China has vowed to protect its companies against proposed US tariffs aimed at Russian energy buyers, warning Washington that economic coercion and unilateral sanctions will ultimately backfire.
Speaking on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded to legislation introduced in the US Senate that would authorize tariffs of up to 100% on imports from major buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, including China.
“China strongly opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or the approval of the United Nations Security Council, and will take necessary measures to firmly defend the rights and legitimate interests of Chinese businesses and citizens.” Lin said.
“Following double standards and resorting to coercion and pressure will ultimately prove to be self-defeating,” he added.
A revised sanctions bill was introduced Tuesday by the US Senate. It’s an update to legislation originally proposed by the late Russian hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died of heart complications on Saturday.
If passed, the measure would authorize US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas. China and India will be among the most affected countries.
The proposal comes less than two months after Washington and Beijing signed a trade deal designed to ease months of tariff tensions following a trade war in which the US imposed tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods, while China responded with tariffs of up to 125% on US goods.
During the conflict, Beijing also blocked shipments of rare earths critical to the U.S.’s advanced and defense industries, disrupting supply chains and forcing some U.S. producers to halt production.
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