China threatens consequences after Trump's push for NATO tariffs

China has threatened consequences after US President Donald Trump demanded that all NATO countries impose high tariffs on Chinese goods and stop buying Russian oil.

If China's interests are harmed, the People's Republic will take countermeasures and defend its security and development interests, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday in Beijing.

The behaviour of the United States is a "typical case of unilateral harassment," he said.

The Ministry of Commerce said in a separate statement that China hopes that the US will exercise caution in its words and actions and resolve differences in trade and economics through dialogue.

Trump had previously linked further US sanctions on Russia to all NATO countries imposing tariffs of 50-100% on Chinese imports and no longer buying Russian oil. He said he believes this would help end the war in Ukraine.

Trump's aim is to persuade China to use its influence on Moscow to bring Russia to the negotiating table. The proposed tariffs would be lifted when the war between Russia and Ukraine ends, he said.

China has remained neutral in the war in Ukraine, but is considered a close and influential partner of Moscow. Beijing has put forward proposals for resolving the war, which Ukraine has rejected because they are mainly based on Russia's demands.

Trump made his comments in parallel with the ongoing talks between China and the US in Spain, where representatives of the world's two largest economies are discussing their trade relations.

The tariff dispute between the US and China escalated earlier this year, with both countries imposing surcharges of more than 100% on goods imported from each other's countries. A pause in the dispute remains in place until November.