China has strongly rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal that NATO members impose steep tariffs on Beijing, saying such measures would only worsen global tensions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks on Saturday during a press conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, following talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon. His comments came just hours after Trump suggested NATO should consider tariffs of 50–100 per cent on Chinese goods until the war in Ukraine ends.

“China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang was quoted as saying by China Daily.

Wang argued that sanctions and tariffs would not resolve crises but only complicate them further. “China and Europe should be friends rather than rivals, and should cooperate rather than confront each other,” he said. “Making the right choices amid the greatest changes in a century demonstrates the responsibilities that both sides should fulfill towards history and the people.”

Wang also stressed that Beijing remains committed to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, adding that the current international situation was defined by “intertwined chaos and continuous conflicts.”

Ukraine war with Russia

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, had said NATO should take collective action on tariffs: “I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50 per cent to 100 per cent TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.”

The former president claimed China maintains “a strong control, and even grip, over Russia,” suggesting punitive tariffs would weaken Beijing’s leverage over Moscow.

Trump’s proposal is unusual because NATO is a military alliance with no mandate on trade issues. Analysts say his idea of collective tariffs under NATO reflects a broadening of security tools into the economic sphere.

Earlier this month, Trump had accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring against” the United States after Beijing held its largest-ever military parade on September 3, attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. However, in a subsequent remark, Trump said his personal relationship with Xi was still “very good,” underscoring his oscillating stance towards Beijing.

China’s Consistent Refrain on Tariffs

Wang Yi’s latest remarks echo Beijing’s long-standing response to US tariff threats. Since the onset of Trump’s trade war in 2018, China has consistently positioned itself as a supporter of global free trade and multilateral cooperation, while rejecting what it calls Washington’s “unilateral protectionism.”

During earlier rounds of tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing responded with targeted counter-tariffs but avoided escalating rhetoric, often reiterating that dialogue and mutual respect should guide US-China relations. For instance, in 2019 when Trump raised duties on $200 billion worth of imports, Chinese officials said the “only way forward is cooperation, not confrontation,” while rolling out measured relief for domestic exporters.

China’s playbook has also involved appealing to Europe and other global partners. Wang’s emphasis in Ljubljana that “China and Europe should be friends rather than rivals” reflects Beijing’s strategy of preventing Washington from rallying its allies into a united front against China. This mirrors past efforts when Beijing sought closer ties with the EU even as US tariffs intensified.

The rhetoric of “peace talks” and “multilateralism” serves a dual purpose: projecting China as a responsible power amid global instability, and contrasting Beijing’s image with Washington’s protectionist posture. At the same time, China has been careful not to openly distance itself from Russia, maintaining energy imports and high-level diplomacy while rejecting suggestions that it is actively fueling the war in Ukraine.

If NATO were to adopt Trump’s proposed tariff scheme, unlikely though it may be, China would almost certainly respond with both diplomatic protests and retaliatory economic measures, just as it did during the first trade war. For now, Wang Yi’s remarks suggest Beijing will continue its balancing act: opposing punitive measures, promoting dialogue, and seeking to court European partners wary of being drawn into Washington’s hardening stance.