Donald Trump says he’ll slap a harsh embargo on the Kremlin if Brussels turns the screws on China, but EU diplomats suspect the U.S. president is stalling.

Beijing also accused the U.S. of "bullying" and threatened a firm response as the Trump administration urges NATO allies and others in the G7 to crank up the pressure on China and Russia with new tariffs and sanctions that could help force an end to the war in Ukraine.

China has released a Wells Fargo & Co. banker it earlier blocked from leaving the country, according to a person familiar with the matter, ahead of a potential in-person meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday and said he would also speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, signalling a bid to ease tensions with both India and China.

Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, has signalled that navigating the “great disruption” from China in the Indo-Pacific will be a top talking point at an expected meeting between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.

China has issued a strong rebuttal against the latest move by US President Donald Trump, who called on NATO allies to impose a steep tariff of 50 to 100 per cent on Chinese goods. The proposal, aimed at pressuring China over its alleged support to Russia in the ongoing Ukraine war,