China has criticized the recent U.S. sanctions on its entities over the Ukraine conflict as “illegal and unilateral,” asserting that they are “not based on facts.” This statement was made ahead of White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s visit to Beijing for high-level talks.
The U.S. imposed sanctions last week on over 400 entities and individuals for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. This includes Chinese companies allegedly helping Moscow bypass Western sanctions and strengthen its military capabilities.
Washington has frequently warned Beijing about its support for Russia’s defense sector and has issued numerous sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow’s access to technologies critical for military use.
China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, who has conducted four rounds of shuttle diplomacy, criticized the sanctions during a briefing for diplomats in Beijing. Li argued that a certain country is using the crisis to shift blame, fabricate a “China responsibility theory,” and threaten countries with normal trade relations with Russia using unjust sanctions.
Li didn’t specify the U.S., but China’s commerce ministry condemned the sanctions on Sunday, with the foreign ministry expressing similar disapproval of previous measures. Last week’s sanctions targeted Chinese companies involved in shipping machine tools and microelectronics to Russia.
Li accused these actions of being driven by self-interest and detached from reality, asserting that the international community would not accept them.
Despite not attending a Swiss peace conference in June, China has sought to position itself as a proactive player in resolving the conflict. Past diplomatic efforts by Li included proposals for prisoner exchanges, opposing nuclear and biological weapons, and protecting civilian nuclear facilities.
China has previously outlined general principles for ending the war in a 12-point paper but has not provided specific solutions. This year, China and Brazil jointly called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and Li expressed hope for broader international support for China’s peace initiatives.
