BEIJING: Beijing on Thursday said it would take “necessary measures” after the United States announced fresh sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s military and industrial capabilities, punishing companies in China and elsewhere that help Moscow acquire weapons for its war in Ukraine.
The sweeping package of sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department on Wednesday, targeted nearly 300 entities across Russia, China, and other countries, accused of aiding President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement issued by a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing, China urged the US to cease “smearing and containing China” and warned against the implementation of “illegal and unilateral sanctions.” The spokesman reiterated China’s stance of being “neither a creator nor a party” to the crisis in Ukraine. He asserted China’s right to maintain normal trading relations with all countries, including Russia.
Despite growing international concern over Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, China has refrained from condemning Moscow’s actions and has faced accusations of indirectly supporting the war through its strategic partnership with Russia. However, Beijing maintains that it opposes illegal sanctions and the exercise of “long-arm jurisdiction” by the United States against Chinese enterprises.
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, emphasized that the sanctions are intended to disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts, warning that companies providing material support to Russia would face significant consequences. The measures come as part of a broader strategy to bolster Ukraine’s resistance against Russian advances, with President Joe Biden recently signing a bill to provide additional military, economic, and humanitarian support to Kyiv.
The latest wave of sanctions targets individuals and entities involved in Russia’s energy, mining, and metals sectors, as well as those connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Among the almost 300 targets, several are based in China, prompting concerns over Beijing’s role in enabling Russia’s military-industrial base.
The US Treasury highlighted the critical role played by entities in countries like China in providing essential technology and equipment to Russia. Other non-Russian entities targeted in the sanctions hail from countries such as Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia and Turkey.
