China slams EU for sanctions on firms over Russia
China on Monday voiced firm opposition to the European Union's decision to put four Chinese companies on a list in its 13th round of sanctions against Russia. "This is unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that has no basis in international law, nor a mandate from the United Nations Security Council," China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in a statement. The statement read that the act runs counter to the spirit of the consensus reached during meetings of Chinese and EU leaders and will have a negative impact on China-EU economic and trade relations. The EU had approved on Wednesday sweeping sanctions against Russia, including some against three Chinese mainland firms and one Hong Kong-based company, while curbs announced by Britain on Thursday included sanctions on three Chinese electronics companies. The MOC went on to say that the Chinese side urges the EU to bear in mind the overall interests of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and unconditionally stop blacklisting the Chinese firms, the MOC said. "China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," it added. (Xinhua/Reuters)