China said on Thursday that its purchases of Russian oil were “legitimate” and decried “unilateral bullying” by the United States, as President Donald Trump pushes countries to stop buying fuel from Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

“China carries out normal, legitimate economic, trade, and energy cooperation with countries around the world, including Russia,” Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters at a regular briefing.

“The actions of the United States are a typical example of unilateral bullying and economic coercion,” Lin said. (AFP)