US Treasury Secretary's misleading statement: Europe should act against China and India first, then the US will follow
On September 15 local time, US Treasury Secretary Bensont made comments during a joint interview with Reuters and Bloomberg, stating that European countries need to play a greater role in cutting off Russian oil revenues and ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He also reiterated the previous position of the US government - unless European countries impose high tariffs on China and India, the Trump administration will not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods, in order to prevent China from purchasing Russian oil.
When asked whether the US would impose tariffs related to Russian oil on Chinese goods after again imposing 25% tariffs on Indian imports (note: the overall tariff has now reached 50%), Bensont replied, "We hope European countries take their share of responsibility now. Without the help of European countries, our actions will not proceed."
According to reports, during this joint interview, Bensont also criticized some European countries for purchasing Russian oil, while others bought Russian crude oil at a discount and refined it into finished oil in India. He claimed that these countries were funding the "conflict in their own backyard."
"I assure you, if European countries impose high 'secondary tariffs' on buyers of Russian oil, the war will end within 60 to 90 days, as this will cut off Russia's main source of income," he claimed.
This US Treasury Secretary even boasted that the tariff measures imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil have brought "substantial progress" in negotiations with India.
On September 15, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce of China responded to questions about the US request for relevant parties to impose additional tariffs on China for importing Russian oil, stating that China has always opposed trade restrictions against China under the pretext of "involvement with Russia." The US attempt to coerce relevant parties to impose "secondary tariffs" on China for purchasing Russian oil is a typical example of unilateral bullying and economic coercion. It seriously violates the consensus between the leaders of the two countries and may cause serious impacts on global trade and supply chain stability. China firmly opposes this. If any party harms China's interests, China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
We hope the US exercises caution in its words and actions and moves in the same direction as China, continuing to properly resolve trade disputes through equal dialogue and consultation. At the same time, we also hope relevant parties uphold their principles and work with China to jointly maintain world trade order and the safety and stability of the global supply chain.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843384659609612/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.