Photo courtesy of Anadolu
China has lodged a formal protest with the European Union after the bloc imposed sanctions on additional Chinese companies as part of its latest measures against Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Beijing said the sanctions unfairly targeted Chinese businesses and warned that the move could damage relations between China and the European Union.
The protest came after the EU included 14 companies from mainland China and Hong Kong in its 21st sanctions package against Russia.
In response, China placed 14 European Union entities on its export control list, describing the decision as a countermeasure to the bloc’s latest actions.
A spokesperson for China’s mission to the EU said Beijing remained committed to promoting peace and dialogue on the conflict in Ukraine and rejected accusations linking Chinese companies to Russia’s war effort.
Chinese officials also criticized what they described as attempts to shift responsibility for the conflict onto China, arguing that the sanctions lacked justification.
Beijing urged the European Union to reverse the measures and address what it called the negative impact of the sanctions on bilateral ties.
The latest exchange marked another escalation in tensions between China and the European Union as both sides traded economic measures linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine.