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The Chinese government has opposed what it described as unilateral sanctions against Russia by the United States.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian made the position known during a briefing for journalists in Beijing.
Lin was asked to comment on new United States legislation on sanctions against Russia, spearheaded by Senator Lindsey Graham and backed by President Donald Trump.
The new legislation, according to Bloomberg, would target the top five buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, including China.
Following the development, President Trump would be granted the authority to impose tariff rates of up to 100 per cent on the countries concerned.
Responding, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or authorisation of the UN Security Council and will take necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses and citizens.”
Lin also said that practising double standards and resorting to coercion and pressure would eventually prove to be self-defeating.
He further addressed a recent report in the Financial Times citing a latest study that Europe and the United States would need to invest an additional US$23.6 trillion over the next 25 years to end their reliance on China in critical industries by 2050, and that it would be impossible to replicate industrial and supply chains in the short term.
Lin, however, said the development reflected how deeply interconnected and mutually complementary global industrial and supply chains are and that all countries belong to one community with common interests.
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He added that decoupling, protectionist barriers, and the forced reengineering of industrial and supply chains are not only expensive but also contrary to market rules and the choices of businesses.
“Eventually, it will cost everyone more and deliver less,” Lin stated.
He further said that a true sense of security comes from cooperation, not isolation.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, “Keeping the global supply chain safe, stable, and unimpeded is the shared responsibility of all countries. China remains committed to high-standard opening up and will continue to provide quality products and cooperation opportunities for the whole world with its mega-sized market and complete industrial system.”
Lin also said China stood ready to work with other countries to resist the logic of bloc confrontation, make the global supply chain mutually beneficial, and provide a steady impetus for the world’s common development.
On the United States’ renewed sanctions against Cuban entities, which have been added to an earlier fuel blockade and broader sanctions campaign despite international opposition, Lin stated that China has made its position clear on many occasions.
He also said that the more than 60 years of the United States blockade and sanctions have brought profound suffering to the Cuban people.
“Recently, the U.S. once again upgraded blockade and sanction measures, hitting hard at the basic livelihood of the Cuban people and raising concern from the international community. The U.S. needs to heed the call for justice from the international community, stop its blockade, coercion, and pressure against Cuba at once, and stop stripping the Cuban people of the rights to survival and development. China firmly supports Cuba in defending national sovereignty and standing against external interference. We stand ready to work with the rest of the world to uphold international fairness and justice,” Lin assured.
