Chinese FM Warns Against War and Sanctions, Advocates for Dialogue

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that “war cannot resolve problems, and sanctions will only complicate them,” during a press conference in Ljubljana following a meeting with Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon. The comments, reported by China’s Xinhua news agency, appeared to be a rejection of calls, notably from former U.S. President Donald Trump, for higher tariffs on China and India over their purchases of Russian oil. Without mentioning any specific nation, Wang Yi emphasized that “China does not participate in, nor does it plan, wars. What it does is encourage peace talks and promote the political resolution of the most sensitive issues through dialogue.”