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We firmly oppose directing the issue at China, says FM spokesperson on Trump's reported call on EU to impose new tariffs on India and China over Ukraine crisis

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Sep 10, 2025 04:18 PM

In response to media reports on that US President Donald Trump told European officials he's willing to impose sweeping new tariffs on India and China to push President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table with Ukraine - but only if EU nations do so as well, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that "we firmly oppose directing the issue at China and we resolutely oppose the so-called economic pressure being imposed on China."

China has always maintained an objective and impartial position on the Ukraine crisis. China is neither the creator of this crisis nor a party to it, said Lin.

US President Donald Trump reportedly urged EU officials on Tuesday to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on China and India as part of a strategy to pressure Russia, according to a Reuters report, citing a US official and an EU diplomat. Chinese analysts believe that the US is wielding economic coercion to bind the EU to its strategic agenda, disregarding the severe impact that unjustified high tariffs on China and India could have on Europe's economy.

Trump made the request, which was conveyed via conference call, to EU sanctions envoy David O'Sullivan and other EU officials. The EU delegation is currently in Washington to discuss sanctions coordination. The EU diplomat said the US had indicated it was willing to impose similar tariffs if the European Union heeded the US request. "They are basically saying: We'll do this but you need to do it with us," the diplomat said, according to Reuters.

"We're ready to go, ready to go right now, but we're only going to do this if our European partners step up with us," one US official said. A second US official said Washington was prepared to "mirror" any tariffs on China and India imposed by the EU, potentially leading to a further increase in US levies on imports from both countries, according to a Financial Times report.

The latest news illustrates US typical diplomatic style - sending strong signals first, regardless of how difficult they may be to achieve, Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor at the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Recent US-EU talks on Ukraine, tariffs, and secondary sanctions reveal deep rifts, as both sides pursue their own interests while shifting responsibility, Wang Xiaoquan, an expert with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

At the same time, US push for the EU to impose tariffs on China and India reflects mounting US pressure to bind Europe more closely to Washington's strategic agenda, according to Wang.

While the US is pressuring the EU to impose high tariffs on China and India, it is simultaneously pursuing negotiations with India, according to media reports. The Reuters report said that later on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the US could in fact boost trade with India, writing in an evening social media post that the US and India are working to address trade barriers between the nations. He added that he was looking forward to speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While Trump did hike tariffs on India over the summer by 25 percentage points in part due to its economic relationship with the Kremlin, Trump has yet to pull the trigger on the more punishing options he has floated, according to the Reuters report.

Wang noted that the US demand directly challenges Europe's core interests, deepening transatlantic frictions and internal rifts. Having already severed ties with Russia at heavy cost, Europe cannot afford to break with China and India, the expert emphasized.

Recent reports of US-EU discussions on potential sanctions against China and other countries over Russian oil highlight the ongoing push and pull in transatlantic relations, said Wang.

Washington's demand for the EU to impose tariffs on China and India reveals an attempt to turn Europe's economic interests into a tool of US strategy, reflecting a mind-set of sacrificing allies for US own gains. Should Europe follow suit, its much-touted "strategic autonomy" risks being reduced to hollow rhetoric, said experts, stressing that this is also a critical test of EU leaders' strategic vision and political resolve, urging them to uphold autonomy and composure rather than blindly follow the US, which would come at a heavy cost.

Trump on September 4 claimed that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil and put economic pressure on China to try to bring about an end to Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to a CNN report citing a White House official.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "We firmly oppose directing the issue at China and imposing so-called 'economic pressure' on China."

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday that "We firmly oppose directing the issue at China and imposing so-called 'economic pressure' on China."