China expresses 'strong dissatisfaction' and 'firm opposition' to new US sanctions targeting Chinese companies linked to Russia's conflict in Ukraine, according to a statement from the commerce ministry on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the ministry urged the US to cease its erroneous actions immediately and affirmed that China would implement necessary measures to protect the lawful rights and interests of its companies.
On Friday, the US government imposed extensive sanctions on nearly 400 entities and individuals, including several Chinese firms, which it accuses of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. These sanctions, an expansion of previous measures aimed at curbing Moscow's actions, affect Chinese companies engaged in the export of microelectronics and machine tools to Russia, as detailed in a State Department document.
The US Treasury Department explained that these sanctions are directed at individuals and companies, both within and outside Russia, whose products and services facilitate Russia's war efforts and its evasion of sanctions.
China's commerce ministry criticized the sanctions as 'typical unilateral measures' that disrupt the international trade order and rules, impede normal international economic and trade interactions, and jeopardize the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.
The US has repeatedly cautioned China about its support for Russia's defense sector. However, China claims neutrality in the conflict and denies providing lethal aid to either party, in contrast to the US and other Western nations. Despite this, China maintains close political and economic ties with Russia, leading NATO members to label Beijing as a 'decisive enabler' of the war, a stance China has not condemned.
