China pushes back against US’ Russia sanctions bill, says bilateral ties should not be disrupted

China on Thursday pushed back on the US Congress passing a major sanctions bill targeting Russia, stressing bilateral trade ties should “not be disrupted” by any third party.

“China carries out economic and trade cooperation with countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

He was responding to questions on a US Congress bill that imposes mandatory sanctions on senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, as well as oligarchs, state-owned companies, and foreign businesses supporting Russia’s defense industry.

Guo, however, said China’s “cooperation does not target any third party and it should not be disrupted under the coercion of any third party.”

“We always oppose long-arm jurisdiction that has no basis in international law or authority of UN Security Council,” he stressed.

Chinese and Russian bilateral trade has grown over the years, surging over $240 billion in 2024, and most of the trade is conducted in national currencies.

The US House of Representatives approved the bill Wednesday by a 262-159 vote, with dozens of Democrats joining Republicans.

The measure now goes to US President Donald Trump for his signature.

The legislation would allow the Trump administration to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, including China and India.