BEIJING, May 21 (RTSG) – The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed vehement disagreement to what they call “unreasonable sanctions” imposed by the European Union against Chinese businesses operating overseas.

The ministry’s spokesperson Mao Ning made the statements in response to a question regarding the EU and Britain announcing to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia, with Chinese enterprises also included in the sanctions list.

The EU and Britain unilaterally announced the sanctions a day after President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin, which seemingly did nothing to advance the goal of a ceasefire deal.

London and Brussels said their new measures would target Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war.

“China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council,” Mao said, voicing strong dissatisfaction with the EU’s move.

On the Ukraine crisis, Mao firmly stated that “China has always been committed to promoting peace talks, and has never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict.”

Mao urged the EU to drop its double standards on economic and trade cooperation with Russia, and stop undermining the legitimate interests of Chinese firms, adding that “China will take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

The new sanctions primarily target a fleet of ships Russia uses to export oil, bypassing the G7’s $60-per-barrel price cap designed to curb the country’s revenue.
Britain and the EU also announced plans to push for a lower cap, as the current one offers a much smaller discount on Russian oil due to this year’s decline in global prices.

Written and Edited by Seraph