Wed Sep 24 09:53:45 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the text:
**Summary:**
The article reports on China’s response to criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding China and India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, which Trump claims is funding the war in Ukraine. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson refuted Trump’s accusations, pointing out that the U.S. and EU also engage in trade with Russia. The spokesperson defended China’s trade with Russia as normal and WTO-compliant, warning of countermeasures if this trade is obstructed. The article also mentions India’s previous defense of its Russian oil purchases, noting that Western countries also continue to trade with Russia, even without vital national compulsion. The Trump administration has imposed a 25% tariff on India as a penalty for its purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on the country by the U.S. to 50%.
**News Article:**
**Beijing Defends Russia Trade, Warns of Countermeasures Against Obstruction**
**Beijing, China – September 24, 2025** – China has strongly defended its trade relations with Russia in response to criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused China and India of funding the war in Ukraine through continued purchases of Russian oil.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, speaking at a press briefing today, dismissed Trump’s claims as hypocritical, pointing out that the United States and the European Union also maintain trade ties with Moscow. “An overwhelming number of countries, including the U.S. and E.U., are engaging in trade with Russia,” Guo stated, reminding Trump that Washington is also actively trading with Moscow.
Guo defended Chinese companies’ trade with Russia as being in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and market principles, asserting that these exchanges are “not targeted against any third party and should not be interfered with and influenced.”
The spokesperson also warned of potential countermeasures if China’s trade with Russia is obstructed. “China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests,” Guo stated, without elaborating on the specific nature of the potential response.
Trump, in his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, had singled out China and India as “the primary funders” of the conflict in Ukraine due to their ongoing oil purchases. He also criticized the EU’s continued energy imports from Russia, while notably omitting mention of U.S. trade with Moscow.
This follows previous statements from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which argued that unlike India’s case, trade between the U.S. and EU with Russia is not a “vital national compulsion.” The MEA highlighted the continued import of uranium hexafluoride, palladium, fertilizers, and chemicals by the U.S. from Russia, while Europe continues to trade in energy, fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery and transport equipment with Russia.
The Trump administration has already imposed a significant tariff hike on India, now standing at 50%, as a penalty for its Russian oil purchases. The move underscores the escalating tensions surrounding global trade with Russia amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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