China declares that it has the right to normal cooperation with Russia and to import Russian oil

China considers oil imports from Russia to be justified and says it will continue energy cooperation with all countries, despite the US threats to impose additional duties. This is stated in a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, writes Bloomberg.

"China has the right to normal economic, trade and energy cooperation with all countries of the world, including Russia," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, adding: "We will continue to take reasonable energy security measures in accordance with our national interests."

President of the United States Donald Trump this week announced that it may impose additional duties on China for buying Russian oil.

Earlier, Washington had already imposed secondary sanctions on India for the same actions.

At the same time, Trump's chief adviser, Peter Navarro, acknowledged that raising tariffs on Chinese goods could also hurt the United States. The Minister of Finance Scott Bessent added that this issue "may appear on the agenda".

According to the Chinese Customs Service, in July, imports from Russia increased to $10.06 billion, the highest since March. At the same time, since the beginning of 2025, purchases from Russia have fallen by 7.7% compared to the same period in 2024.

Relations between the US and China have now stabilized after agreeing to postpone the tariff hike while the parties try to negotiate a new agreement.

• During the latest trade talks in Stockholm, the US and China almost agreed on most issues to avoid higher tariffs, but remain at an impasse due to Washington's demand stop purchasing oil from Russia and Iran.