Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian

China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that lack legal basis under international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Thursday, in response to media reports saying that EU plans to sanction two small Chinese banks for helping Russia get around the bloc's trade restrictions.

At present, most countries, including those in Europe and North America, continue to maintain trade relations with Russia. Normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises are in line with WTO rules and market principles, and should not be disrupted or affected, Lin added.

According to a Bloomberg report, under EU's proposed sanctions, EU-based financial institutions would be banned from conducting any transactions with the two regional lenders which are based near China's border with Russia. The news out let said it is not identifying the banks because the measures have not yet been published.

Global Times