(Beijing) Beijing raised its tone on Thursday, saying it was ready to take “the necessary measures” to defend the interests of its companies, after the announcement by Washington of sanctions targeting companies from China or other countries which help Moscow to acquire weapons for its war in Ukraine.
Posted at 8:44 a.m.
Updated at 9:25 a.m.
“China urges the United States to stop denigrating and suppressing China and stop implementing illegal and unilateral sanctions,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a message sent to the AFP.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the legal rights and interests of Chinese companies,” he added.
As part of a sweeping package of measures announced Wednesday by the U.S. Treasury Department, Washington targeted nearly 300 entities in Russia, China and other countries accused of supporting President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her department has “consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences if they provide material support to Russia’s war” and that its “actions will further disrupt and degrade the Russia’s war efforts.
On the Ukrainian crisis, China calls for dialogue, opposes any use of nuclear weapons and urges respect for the territorial integrity “of all countries” – by implication Ukraine included.
But Beijing has never publicly condemned Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine and regularly calls for consideration of Russia’s security concerns vis-à-vis NATO.
Beijing again insisted on Thursday that China was “neither the origin nor a party to” the crisis in Ukraine, and said it had the right to develop “normal” trade relations with all countries, including Russia.
China has always resolutely opposed the United States’ implementation of illegal and unilateral sanctions against Chinese companies and the exercise of “long-range jurisdiction”, the spokesperson said.
Sticks in the wheels ”
The latest wave of US sanctions came a week after President Joe Biden signed a highly anticipated bill to provide $61 billion in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, as the military Kyiv strives to contain Russian advances.
“Even as we throw a spanner in the works of Russia’s war machine, President Biden’s recently passed supplemental national security bill provides much-needed military, economic, and humanitarian support for Ukraine’s courageous resistance “, declared M.me Yellen.
As part of these measures, the State Department blacklisted other individuals and companies involved in Russia’s energy, mining and metallurgy sectors.
The sanctions also target people linked to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in February in a Siberian prison.
Among the approximately 300 targets are dozens of actors accused of allowing Russia to acquire desperately needed technology and equipment abroad, the Finance Ministry said.
Some of them are based in countries such as China, which have come under increasing pressure from Washington for supporting Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began 15 months ago .
“The United States, along with many international partners, is particularly concerned about entities based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and other third countries that provide critical support to Russia’s military-industrial base” , indicates the Treasury press release.
“This support allows Russia to continue its war against Ukraine and constitutes a significant threat to international security,” he continues.
In addition to China, the targeted non-Russian entities were located in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
These companies “allow Russia to acquire desperately needed technologies and equipment abroad,” the statement said.
