China responds to US claims on Russian and Iranian oil talks

In response to a statement by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that China’s oil purchases from Russia and Iran could be a topic in the next round of US-China talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China’s position on tariffs is consistent and clear.

“We hope the US will cooperate with China to implement the important consensus reached during the phone call between the two heads of state, make full use of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, increase mutual understanding through dialogue and communication, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation, and promote the stable, sound, and sustainable development of China-US relations,” he added.

Guo stated that for detailed information, the competent authorities should be consulted.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had indicated that China’s oil imports from Russia and Iran could be on the agenda in the next talks between the US and China. Speaking to Bloomberg, Bessent stated that trade between the two countries is in a good place, while emphasizing that the talks could now shift to topics concerning national security.

In a statement to CNBC, Bessent said, “China is, unfortunately, one of the largest buyers of sanctioned Iranian and Russian oil. It is now time to put these issues on the table.”

Bessent also threatened that countries purchasing sanctioned Russian oil would be subject to a secondary tariff of up to 100%.