【Text by Observer Net, Liu Bai】

Western countries are still incessantly hyping up the narrative of "China pressuring Russia." Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Lindner stated during an interview on September 12 that if China wants to fulfill its potential as a global power and avoid being involved in further sanctions proposed by European and American leaders, it must pressure Russia to stop the conflict with Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, Lindner claimed during an interview in Vienna that China needs to push Russia to participate in peace talks and stop supplying weapons to support its "war machine." The Chinese side has repeatedly refuted these claims, pointing out that if China had really provided military supplies to Russia, the situation on the battlefield would not be what it is today.

"China has the responsibility to use its influence over Russia to push it to truly engage in negotiations. The EU's position is to pressure Russian President Putin, and we will achieve this through sanctions. If these sanctions are circumvented, we must take action."

However, she suggested that the EU should conduct an impact assessment before agreeing to new measures. "We must always consider: Do these sanctions harm Russia more than they harm us?"

This foreign minister is persistent.

"China is moving towards becoming a global leader, which comes with certain responsibilities. For months, Ukraine has shown that it is willing to cease fire and is ready to negotiate at any necessary level. But Putin is not. And China has influence over Russia."

On July 10, in Vienna, Austria's Foreign Minister Michael Lindner speaks at a press conference. IC Photo

These rhetoric are nothing new. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Western countries have repeatedly confused the public, ignoring their own role in inciting the conflict, and instead frequently "blaming" China, forcibly linking China to the Ukraine issue.

In July this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped China, India, and Brazil would exert pressure on Russia, and the US might impose tariffs on Russia.

On July 4, at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning answered questions related to the Ukraine crisis. Mao pointed out that China is not a party to the Ukraine issue. China's position on the Ukraine crisis has always been to advocate for peace and dialogue.

Mao pointed out that we have been actively promoting ceasefire and ending the war. China's objective and fair position is clearly seen by the international community. A prolonged Ukraine crisis does not benefit anyone, and we support resolving the crisis through diplomatic efforts as soon as possible, and are willing to play a constructive role with the international community according to the wishes of the parties involved.

According to a US proposal obtained by Bloomberg, the US will urge G7 allies to impose tariffs as high as 100% on China and India for purchasing Russian oil, and consider other measures to pressure Russia to end the Ukraine conflict.

US President Trump told European officials that he was willing to impose new tariffs on China and India to push Russia into negotiations, but only if EU countries were willing to follow suit.

Trump said on September 12 during an interview with Fox News that his patience with Putin was "running out quickly," and he threatened to implement new economic sanctions, severe measures that could target (Russia) banks and the oil industry.

The South China Morning Post, an English-language Hong Kong media outlet, analyzed on September 12 that European officials have long used the "bait" of jointly formulating policies toward China to please Trump, hoping to gain his continued support for Ukraine and punish Russia. Now the EU is caught in a dilemma, as Trump's conditions are indeed hot, and the EU lacks both legal basis and political willingness to impose additional taxes on China and India.

Some analysts believe that Trump deliberately put forward such an unrealistic demand, just waiting for the EU to reject it, essentially not wanting to advance the sanctions against Russia.

China has repeatedly emphasized that it will take reasonable energy security measures based on its national interests. A trade war has no winners, and coercion or pressure cannot solve problems. China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests.

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