China calls out Western ‘double standards’ on Russia sanctions
Beijing has accused the European Union and its allies of “double standards,” following the latest wave of sanctions targeting Russia and Chinese companies allegedly linked to Moscow’s military supply chains.
The EU’s 17th sanctions package against Russia, adopted on Tuesday, targets what the bloc claims is the country’s shadow fleet used for transporting crude oil. Several Chinese firms accused of supplying Moscow with drone parts and microelectronics were also included in the measures. The UK coordinated with Brussels, adding 18 vessels to its own blacklist.
Responding to the measures, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday rejected the accusations and warned against disrupting the normal trade exchanges between the two countries.
“Those in Europe need to stop using double standards on trade and economic cooperation with Russia,” Mao said. “Most countries, including those in Europe and the US, continue to trade” with Moscow, she added.
The spokeswoman emphasized that China strictly regulates exports of dual-use goods and insisted that Beijing has not supplied any lethal weapons to parties involved in the Ukraine conflict.
The new sanctions were announced shortly after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, in which Trump reportedly warned that further sanctions might complicate efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in the Ukraine conflict.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met last week for the first time since 2022 – when Kiev halted negotiations in favor of a military strategy reportedly encouraged by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
On the same day the EU adopted its new sanctions, Beijing expressed support for the resumption of direct talks between Moscow and Kiev. China also vowed to continue supporting efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
