BEIJING, March 31. /TASS/. The potential introduction of tariffs on Russian oil by US President Donald Trump will not impact its deliveries to China, official spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guo Jiakun stated.
"Sino-Russian cooperation is not directed against any third parties and is not subject to external influence," he said during a briefing, commenting on the reports that Washington would impose secondary sanctions on Russian oil if Moscow refuses to reach a deal on Ukraine.
Guo Jiakun clarified that Beijing maintains a "consistent and clear position on the Ukrainian crisis" and that dialogue and negotiations are the only effective means of resolving the conflict.
Earlier, Trump stated that he would impose secondary sanctions on Russian oil if Moscow refused to accept his proposed deal for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. According to the US president, countries purchasing this energy resource from Russia would be barred from conducting business in the United States, while tariffs on Russian oil would range from 25% to 50%.
Russia remains the largest oil supplier to China. According to Chinese customs data, China reduced its imports of Russian oil by 12.6% year-on-year in January-February, bringing the volume down to 15.47 mln tons.