US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has explained why Washington has avoided imposing secondary sanctions on China, Russia’s largest oil buyer, while levying steep tariffs on India. Speaking to Fox Business on Sunday, Rubio said the decision was taken to avoid disruptions in global energy prices, as most Russian oil purchased by China is refined and resold in the international market.
“Well, if you look at the oil that’s going to China and being refined, a lot of that is then being sold back into Europe. Europe’s also buying natural gas still. Now, there are countries trying to wean themselves off it, but there’s more Europe can do with regard to their own sanctions,” Rubio said in the interview.
Sanctions Could Disrupt Global Oil Prices
Rubio warned that sanctioning Chinese refiners could drive up energy costs worldwide. “If you put secondary sanctions on a country – let’s say you were to go after the oil sales of Russian oil to China – well, China just refines that oil. That oil is then sold into the global marketplace, and anyone who’s buying that oil would be paying more for it or, if it doesn’t exist, would have to find an alternative source for it,” he explained.
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He added that European nations, which continue to purchase Russian oil refined in China, have already raised concerns over any potential punitive measures against Beijing. “We have heard, when you talk about the Senate bill that was being proposed – where there was a hundred per cent tariff on China and India – we did hear from a number of European countries – not in press releases, but we heard from them – some concern about what that could mean,” he noted.
No Direct Sanctions on Europe
When asked if sanctions could be extended to Europe for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, Rubio clarified: “Well, I don’t know about (sanctions) on Europe directly, obviously, but certainly there are implications to secondary sanctions.”
He further stressed the importance of working with European allies on this issue, adding, “I think they can play a very constructive role here in helping us get to that point.”
