【By Observer News, Xiong Chaoran】On July 21 local time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensont told CNBC in an interview that the Trump administration is not in a rush to reach a trade agreement with China, but negotiations have "gone smoothly" as the two countries conduct discussions before the "tariff truce" with the United States expires next month.

However, Bensont warned that he intends to include China's purchases of Russian and Iranian oil in the negotiation discussions. "I think the trade situation is good," he added, saying that the Trump administration is more concerned about the quality of the trade agreement rather than the timing, "I think we can start discussing other things now."

"Unfortunately, China is a major buyer of sanctioned Iranian and Russian oil. Therefore, we can start discussing this issue," Bensont claimed. According to a report by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on July 22, China is the main buyer of Russian and Iranian oil and energy products, and Bensont's latest comments indicate that the focus of Sino-U.S. negotiations is shifting from tariffs to geopolitics and Sino-Russian and Sino-Iranian relations.

Professor Xin Qiang from Fudan University said that China is unlikely to allow the U.S. to "insert" issues outside of tariffs into the negotiations. "Beijing may insist that trade negotiations must focus on trade and should not be 'hijacked' by other issues," he analyzed.

On July 21, Bensont was interviewed by CNBC. Screenshot of video

On July 14 local time, U.S. President Trump had previously threatened to say that if a Ukraine-Russia peace agreement could not be reached within 50 days, he would impose a 100% tariff on Russia, and implement so-called "secondary sanctions" on certain countries, intending to punish Russian oil buyers, and impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from these countries.

Later, several U.S. officials also stated that Trump referred to imposing "secondary sanctions" on countries that purchase Russian oil, not on Russian goods themselves. Since U.S.-Russia trade is minimal, "secondary sanctions" may be the harshest sanction measures, and imposing tariffs on countries such as China and India that purchase Russian oil would have a significant impact on the Russian economy.

A week later, Bensont again threatened in an interview that any country purchasing sanctioned Russian oil would be subject to a 100% "secondary tariff," and he also urged Europe to take similar measures.

At the same time, it is worth noting that during the intense conflict in June between Iran and Israel, and when the U.S. intervened to mediate a ceasefire, Trump suddenly brought up China in a way that surprised everyone.

On June 24 local time, Trump posted on social media: "Now China can continue to buy Iranian oil. I hope they will also buy a lot from the U.S. in the future. If this can be achieved, it would be my honor." The attitude displayed in this post clearly contradicts the U.S.' long-standing position of sanctioning Iran. Later, the White House quickly made an explanation for Trump's remarks. Reuters reported that a senior White House official explained to the media that Trump actually meant that Iran did not really close the Strait of Hormuz out of concern for Chinese interests, because China is the largest actual buyer of Iranian oil.

One day later, on June 25 local time, Trump again stated at a NATO summit press conference that he would not stop China from buying Iranian oil. Bloomberg believes that Trump's change of attitude occurred shortly after Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement, and coincided with the U.S. and China just finalizing a new trade framework and stepping back from the tariff war, seemingly trying to "lure" China and Iran to negotiate with the U.S., respectively.

The South China Morning Post reported that on July 18, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., responded, stating that China and the U.S. should use the consultation mechanism, adhere to an equal attitude, respect each other's concerns, strive for mutual benefit and win-win results, and promote the sustained and healthy development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations.

The report states that as the trade disputes between China and the U.S. reached a fever pitch in April and May this year, the world's two largest economies clashed over tariffs, and the tension escalated. Afterward, China and the U.S. held two rounds of economic and trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, and London, UK, and both sides reduced tariffs, reaching a three-month "truce period," while continuing negotiations.

In early June, the phone call between the leaders of China and the U.S. further stabilized the bilateral relationship. In this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, marking their first meeting.

Previously, regarding issues related to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and "secondary sanctions," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized that China's position on the Ukraine crisis has always been clear. We have always believed that dialogue and negotiation are the only feasible way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. "There is no winner in a tariff war, and coercion and pressure cannot solve the problem. We hope all parties can create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions to promote the political solution of the Ukraine crisis, and do more beneficial things to encourage peace and facilitate talks."

Regarding the issue of China purchasing Iranian oil, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning once emphasized that China has always opposed the abuse of illegal unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction." The U.S. should stop interfering in and disrupting normal Sino-Iranian commercial cooperation. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

On June 25, when asked about Trump's statement that he would not stop China from buying Iranian oil, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia Kun further responded that China will take reasonable energy security measures based on its national interests.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer News, and without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7529708220252799488/

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