Washington: The Chinese Embassy in Washington said on Thursday that China rejects any form of coercion or pressure, responding to US President Donald Trump's call to stop purchasing Russian oil.
According to Yemen News Agency, Russia Today quoted Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Bingyu as saying, "China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions, jurisdictional expansion, and any form of coercion or pressure."
The Chinese diplomat added that cooperation within the international community, including between China and Russia, "is reasonable and legitimate within the framework of international law, does not harm the interests of third parties, and must be respected and protected."
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would not purchase Russian oil, and called on China to follow suit.
The Chinese Embassy stated that "China is prepared for a trade war with the United States, but remains open to negotiations," stressing that the United States cannot demand a settlement to the trade dispute while continuing to threaten to impose tariffs.