As White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing for high-level talks, China criticized the recent US sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict, labeling them “illegal and unilateral” and “not based on facts.”
Sullivan’s visit marks a new round of strategic communication between China and the US. The sanctions, announced last week by the Biden administration, target over 400 entities and individuals, including Chinese companies alleged to aid Russia in evading Western sanctions and bolstering its military efforts in Ukraine.
China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, denounced the sanctions during a briefing for diplomats, accusing the US of using the crisis to shift blame and threatening countries with normal trade relations with Russia. Hui emphasized that the sanctions are driven by selfish interests and are not supported by facts.
Beijing’s commerce and foreign ministries have both expressed strong opposition to the sanctions, which include measures against Chinese firms involved in supplying machine tools and microelectronics to Russia.
Despite avoiding a Swiss peace conference in June, China has positioned itself as actively seeking solutions to the conflict. Previous proposals from China included support for prisoner exchanges, opposition to nuclear and biological weapons use, and the protection of civilian nuclear facilities.
China and Brazil have jointly called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. On Tuesday, Hui expressed hope that more nations would support China’s peace efforts.
