"If the U.S. is bent on imposing tariffs, China will fight to the end, and this is China's consistent official stance," said Tu Xinquan, director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. WTO is the acronym for the World Trade Organization.

India's ongoing purchase of Russian oil has emerged as a significant issue in its diplomatic relations with the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the matter as a "point of irritation" within broader trade discussions.

US-China trade talks show progress, but China’s refusal to halt oil imports from Iran and Russia could derail any deal. Beijing calls US pressure “coercion”.