In an attempt to stop Moscow from evading Western sanctions, particularly through China, the US on Wednesday imposed hundreds of new sanctions on Russia in relation to the conflict in Ukraine.
In one of the broadest moves against Chinese enterprises in Washington’s sanctions on Russia to date, the US Treasury Department placed sanctions on nearly 200 targets and the State Department identified over 80.
Following several warnings from Washington on China’s military backing for Russia, particularly during recent visits by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to China, the US levied sanctions on 20 Chinese and Hong Kong-based companies.
One of the numerous problems threatening to spoil the recent improvement in relations between the two largest economies in the world is China’s backing for Russia.
“Treasury has consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences for providing material support for Russia’s war, and the US is imposing them today on almost 300 targets,” Yellen said in a statement. “The Chinese side firmly opposes the US’s illegal unilateral sanctions,” he added.
The government regulates the export of dual-use goods in compliance with laws and regulations, according to Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington. She also noted that normal trade and economic relations between China and Russia follow market principles and WTO regulations.
Since Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, the United States and its allies have placed sanctions on hundreds of targets. Tens of thousands have died and cities have been destroyed in this war. Since then, Washington has made an effort to strengthen its enforcement of the Western sanctions, which includes imposing penalties on companies based in China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
