BEIJING, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- The People's Republic of China on Thursday expressed firm opposition to "unilateral and illegal sanctions" imposed by the European Union (EU) on Chinese companies alleged to have helped Russia evade Western sanctions.
This came in a statement issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference in response to the European bloc's approval of a new round of sanctions on Russia, which included 12 Chinese firms under the pretext of helping Moscow evade Western sanctions in the field of technology transfer and defense industries.
Xinhua news agency quoted Guo as saying that that China "firmly" opposes this decision and has lodged "serious protests with the EU side," adding "As we've stressed on multiple occasions, China is not the creator of the current crisis, nor a party to it".
Guo added that normal trade and cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies cannot be held up to blame, as many countries, including the United States and EU members, continue trading with Russia. He urged the European Union to stop making "accusations against China", stressing that such actions do not serve the sound and stable development of China-EU relations, while affirming that it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. (end) slq.seo