China Foreign Minister Wang Yi has criticized a recent suggestion by US President Donald Trump without saying so directly. He said that “wars cannot solve problems” and that sanctions would only “complicate” them. The comments were delivered at a news conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, just after Trump told NATO members to put high tariffs on China as a way to end the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
State-run news agencies including China Daily and Global Times commented on Wang Yi’s statements. He said again that Beijing is committed to fostering peace talks and a political settlement through discussion. “China does not fight in or plan wars,” he remarked. He also asked for more cooperation between China and Europe, saying that the two continents should be “friends rather than rivals, and… cooperate rather than confront each other.”
Many people think that his statement is a direct, though not very clear, answer to Trump’s post on Truth Social, where the former president of the United States said that NATO should put “50 percent to 100 percent TARIFFS ON CHINA” until the war with Russia is over. Trump said that this would “break” China’s “strong control, and even grip, over Russia.”
China has always claimed to be impartial in the Russia-Ukraine war, but critics say this is really a cover for its own geopolitical goals. Wang Yi’s statements come at a time when the two global powers are becoming more tense and are verbally clashing with each other. This is especially true now that Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy is becoming a major topic in international relations. The US has not yet officially responded to Wang Yi’s most recent comments.