China’s Foreign Ministry pointed out that the majority of nations, including those within the EU, maintain trade relations with Russia.
Beijing has accused the EU and its allies of applying “double standards” regarding sanctions imposed on Russia and Chinese companies allegedly aiding Moscow’s military supply chains.
The EU’s 17th sanctions package against Russia, adopted on Tuesday, targets what it describes as Russia’s shadow fleet used for oil transport. Several Chinese companies, accused of providing drone parts and microelectronics to Moscow, are also subject to these measures. The UK aligned with the EU, adding 18 vessels to its blacklist.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded on Wednesday, refuting the accusations and cautioning against disrupting normal trade between China and Russia.
Mao stated that Europe should cease applying double standards to trade and economic cooperation with Russia, noting that most countries, including those in Europe and the US, continue to trade with Moscow.
The spokeswoman stressed that China strictly controls exports of dual-use goods and asserted that Beijing has not provided any lethal weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine conflict.
The new sanctions were revealed soon after a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, during which Trump apparently cautioned that further sanctions could hinder efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution in the Ukraine conflict.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met last week for the first time since 2022, when Kiev suspended negotiations, reportedly influenced by a military strategy encouraged by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
On the same day the EU enacted its new sanctions, Beijing voiced its support for the resumption of direct discussions between Moscow and Kiev, also pledging to continue supporting efforts aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis.
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