Chinese President Xi, left, and US President Donald Trump

China on Thursday strongly criticised the latest US sanctions imposed on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, calling the move “unilateral” and “lacking any basis in international law.“Addressing a daily press briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, “China consistently opposes unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorised by the United Nations Security Council.”

The sanctions were announced by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday after plans for a fresh summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin collapsed. Trump said talks with Putin “don’t go anywhere.”China, a major trading partner of Russia, has maintained a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and has refrained from condemning Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.Guo also criticised sanctions agreed by the European Union the same day, which targeted several Chinese companies. He said Beijing was “strongly dissatisfied,” as quoted by AFP.“China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it,” Guo said. “The European side is in no position to make irresponsible remarks about the normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises,” he added.He urged Brussels to “stop making an issue out of China,” adding that Beijing “will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”Responding to Trump’s comment that Chinese President Xi Jinping could have a “big influence” on Putin in efforts to end the war, Guo said, “Dialogue and negotiations are the only feasible way out of the Ukraine crisis.”The latest sanctions on major Russian oil firms are also expected to make it almost impossible for India to continue buying crude from Russia.