BEIJING: Beijing on Monday described the US demand for G7 and NATO countries to tax China and other countries importing Russian oil as a "unilateral bullying" and a specific act of "economic coercion" and warned that it would take countermeasures if Washington's demand was accepted.
China rejected the US demand during the second day of talks between the Chinese and US delegations on economic and trade issues in Spain on Monday.
At a regular news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China's general economic and energy cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia, is legitimate, legal and unimpeachable.
“This US move is a specific act of unilateral bullying and economic coercion, which seriously undermines international trade rules and threatens the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains,” Lin said.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that NATO countries should impose 50 to 100 percent tariffs on China and stop buying oil from Russia to help end the Ukraine conflict.