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China’s foreign minister has condemned EU proposals to impose sanctions on Chinese companies for supporting Russia’s war machine, vowing to react “strictly and firmly” to defend its businesses.
Qin Gang was speaking after meeting his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin to prepare for the joint German-Chinese government consultations taking place next month.
Eight Chinese businesses accused of selling equipment that could be used in weapons have been listed in a new package of sanctions, seen by the Financial Times, which will be discussed by EU member states this week.
Brussels has until now avoided targeting China, arguing that there was as yet no evidence that it was providing weapons to Moscow. The punitive measures are so far just proposals, subject to the unanimous approval of the EU’s member states.
Qin said China did not deliver any weapons into crisis regions and had laws regulating the export of dual-use goods.
“There is a normal exchange and co-operation between Chinese and Russian companies . . . [this] must not be disrupted,” he said.
“We are against states introducing extraterritorial or one-sided sanctions on China or any other country according to their own domestic laws,” he said. “And if that were to happen we would react strictly and firmly. We will defend the legitimate interests of our country and our companies.”
Two mainland Chinese companies on the EU’s list of firms to be placed under sanctions, 3HC Semiconductors and King-Pai Technology, are already on the US’s sanctions list. Two companies based in Hong Kong that are on the EU list are already on the US Treasury list: Sinno Electronics and Sigma Technology.
King-Pai provides microelectronics to Russia that “have defence applications that include cruise missile guidance systems”, the US Treasury has said previously.
Baerbock declined to comment on the sanctions-hit companies. But she said it was “important” that the sanctions the EU has imposed on Russia “are not subverted in indirect ways”.
“It’s particularly critical when Russian arms companies gain access to war-related products,” Baerbock said. For that reason, she added, the EU was considering “pinpointed” measures to ensure that “sanctioned dual-use goods don’t end up in the wrong hands”.
“That is not aimed against any specific country, but against these sanctioned goods,” she said, adding: “We expect from all countries, including China, that they exert influence on their companies with this in mind.”
Addressing China’s recent peace initiative for Ukraine, Qin said Beijing would remain in contact with all relevant countries and “play a constructive role” in resolving the conflict.
He said that Chinese president Xi Jinping, in a recent phone conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had stressed that “dialogue and talks are the only way out of this crisis”.
“As permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible country, we will continue to push for peace talks,” he said. “China will not pour oil on to the fire and will not try to derive its own benefit from this crisis.”
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