'A tool of hegemony': China hits back at U.S. push for G7 tariffs on India, Beijing over Russian oil

China has slammed a reported U.S. push for the G7 to impose steep tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods over their Russian oil purchases, warning that such economic coercion will only deepen global trade instability and strain international alliances.

Beijing’s response came after the Financial Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is urging G7 countries to slap tariffs of up to 100% on China and India to force Moscow into peace talks over Ukraine. The proposal was discussed in a G7 finance ministers’ video call on Friday, according to the report, which cited four unnamed sources.

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, said at a press briefing that China “did not create the crisis, nor is China a party to it,” adding: “We oppose making an issue of China or imposing so-called ‘economic pressure’ on us.”

Chinese academic Bao Jianyun, dean of international politics at Renmin University, called the U.S. plan another example of Washington using tariffs as a “tool of hegemony.” He warned that if G7 nations comply, it could unravel global trade relationships and weaken the U.S.-led alliance system.

“The U.S. can’t win its self-provoked tariff war, so it’s trying to drag its allies into it,” Bao told the Global Times. He emphasized that Europe, which traded €257.5 billion with Russia in 2021—far more than the U.S.—stands to lose heavily if it severs ties with major economies like China and India.

The FT report said the U.S. Treasury has not confirmed a tariff figure, but sources familiar with the plan cited proposals between 50% and 100%. Trump has also reportedly asked the EU to adopt similar measures in recent talks.

Chinese officials have reiterated that Beijing will make its own decisions on energy based on national interests. “Tariff wars have no winners,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.