The diplomatic landscape heated up as Beijing directly addressed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent criticisms. Trump had accused both India and China of being the “primary funders” of the ongoing Ukraine war, citing their continued purchases of Russian oil. However, China swiftly dismissed these claims, retorting that the United States and the European Union themselves maintain active trade relations with Moscow.
During a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun issued a clear warning: China is prepared to take necessary countermeasures if the normal trade activities of its companies with Russia are in any way obstructed. He firmly rejected Trump’s accusations, emphasizing that such trade adheres to World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and market principles.
Guo Jiakun elaborated, stating that a vast majority of nations, including the U.S. and E.U., are actively involved in trade with Russia. He pointedly reminded the American leader that Washington’s own engagement in commerce with Moscow belies its criticism. Beijing’s actions, he stressed, are not aimed at any third party and therefore “should not be interfered with and influenced.”
Reaffirming China’s position, Guo Jiakun reiterated that the nation has consistently adopted an “objective and just position” concerning the Ukraine crisis, advocating for peaceful negotiations. He concluded by asserting China’s resolve to “take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests.”
These remarks came in response to Mr. Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 23. In his speech, he had specifically called out China and India for bolstering Russia’s war efforts through their oil imports. While he also criticized the E.U. for its continued imports of Russian energy, he notably omitted any mention of the U.S.’s own trade with Moscow.
“Inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products… Think of it, they’re funding the war against themselves,” Trump had declared, expressing his discontent with this situation.
It’s worth noting that the Trump administration had previously imposed an additional 25% tariff on India as a penalty for its Russian oil purchases, raising the total levies on India by the U.S. to an exceptionally high 50%. Last month, India too had highlighted that both the U.S. and the E.U. continued their trade with Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) pointed out that for India, such trade often represents a “vital national compulsion,” implying a stark contrast with the Western nations’ situation. The MEA also detailed that while Europe-Russia trade encompasses energy, fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery, the U.S. itself imports critical goods like uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV sector, fertilizers, and other chemicals from Russia.