China has sharply rejected calls from former US President Donald Trump for European nations to increase economic pressure on Beijing over its stance on the Ukraine war. Speaking via video link to European leaders gathered in Paris on Thursday, Trump urged them to target China while also warning that Europe must stop buying Russian oil, which he said is directly funding Moscow’s invasion. A senior White House official confirmed his remarks to AFP on condition of anonymity.
Responding to the comments on Friday, China’s foreign ministry dismissed the accusations, insisting the country had no role in the conflict. Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing that China neither started the crisis nor is a party to it, adding that Beijing firmly opposes any attempt to drag it into the issue or impose so-called economic coercion.
Beijing has long described itself as a neutral actor, calling for peace negotiations while accusing Western governments of extending the war by supplying Ukraine with weapons. Despite this, China has never condemned Russia’s actions or urged Moscow to withdraw its forces, fueling suspicions among Kyiv’s allies that it is quietly supporting the Kremlin.
The relationship between Russia and China has only grown stronger since the war began. Weeks before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the two countries announced a “no-limits partnership.” Since then, economic and political ties between both sides have deepened significantly.
This closeness was on display earlier this week when Chinese President Xi Jinping stood alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a grand military parade in Moscow marking 80 years since the end of World War II. The show of solidarity drew criticism from European officials, including the European Union’s top diplomat, who accused Beijing of sending the wrong message at a time of war.
China defended the parade by saying its invitation of foreign guests was aimed at working together with peace-loving countries and peoples to remember history. However, when a journalist pressed spokesman Guo on Friday to say whether China considered Russia a peace-loving country, he avoided giving a direct yes-or-no answer.