China Vows ‘Necessary Measures’ in Response to Western Sanctions Targeting Chinese Firms

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) vowed on Monday in separate statements to take the "necessary measures" to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, in response to some Western countries' latest sanctions against Chinese companies for alleged involvement with Russia.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that on the Ukraine crisis, China maintains an objective and impartial position, strives for peace talks and plays a constructive role for the political settlement of the crisis.

The normal trade and economic cooperation between China and Russia is not targeted at any third party or subject to any interference by any third party, Mao said at a routine press briefing in Beijing.

"China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions against Chinese companies and will take necessary measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," Mao said.

The US government imposed new trade restrictions on 93 entities for "supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine," Reuters reported on Friday. The 93 entities are from China, Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, India and South Korea, and they will be subject to trade restrictions. The list included eight Chinese companies, according to the report.

"China's position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent and clear. The [Chinese] government is always neutral on the Ukraine issue and has never supplied weapons to either party," He Weiwen, senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Monday.

He said that the US has been constantly hyping claims that many Chinese products are used for both civil and military purposes — an excuse that the US adopts in cracking down on normal China-Russia trade and China's technological development.

"China should mull countermeasures against Western sanctions on Chinese companies," he said.

The move by the US involves typical unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction and economic coercion, which have harmed international trade norms and affected the safety and stability of global industrial and supply chains, MOFCOM said in a statement on its website.

The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the move by the US and will take "necessary measures" to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, it said.

Meanwhile, the EU has turned a deaf ear to the Chinese side's representations and opposition to including four Chinese companies in its 13th package of sanctions against Russia, the MOFCOM said on Monday.

"This is a case of unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that has no basis in international law and no authorization by the UN Security Council. The practice is against the consensus reached by Chinese and EU leaders and will have a negative impact on China-EU trade relations," the Commerce Ministry said.

The MOFCOM urged the EU side to consider the issue from the big picture of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and remove sanctions against Chinese entities without any conditions.

The MOFCOM also criticized the UK for ignoring the good momentum of China-UK economic and trade cooperation in its recent adoption of measures to include three Chinese companies in new Russia-related sanctions.

*This article was originally published by Global Times.