US warns Chinese companies to circumvent sanctions on Russian exports

WASHINGTON DC, KOMPAS.com – United States of America (AS) warned Chinese companies that they would face consequences if they tried to evade export controls on Moscow if Russia attack Ukraine.

This was conveyed by US State Department spokesman Ned Price after China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China and Russia have coordinated their positions in Ukraine in the foreign ministers meeting of the two countries in Beijing, Thursday (3/2/2022).

Western countries say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will bring sanctions against Moscow and Washington says it is ready to impose financial sanctions and export controls.

Also read: Xi Jinping to Meet Putin as Tensions Rise with the West

According to Price, the US has tools it can use if a foreign company, including in China, tries to circumvent or evade US export control sanctions against Russia.

White House national security official Peter Harrell said Wednesday that Washington is working on export control measures with their Asian allies, including Japan and South Korea.

Price said Russia should understand that closer ties with Beijing would not lessen the consequences the US imposed in response to the invasion.

“If Russia thought it would be in a position to mitigate some of those consequences, by engaging more closely with (China), it didn’t. This would actually make the Russian economy, in many ways, more fragile,” Price said, as reported by Reuters. Reuters, Friday (4/2/2022).

“If you deny yourself the ability to transact with the West, import from the West, from Europe, from the United States, you will significantly reduce your production capacity and innovative potential,” he added.

Also read: US Attacks Buildings in Syria, 13 Dead, 6 Children

Price said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had discussed at length the potential implications of Russia’s actions against Ukraine by telephone last week.

China’s foreign ministry said Wang met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and expressed China’s “understanding and support” of Russia’s security position in relations with the US and NATO.

China’s foreign ministry also said the two sides are coordinating their positions on regional issues of mutual concern, such as Ukraine, Afghanistan and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

At the request of the US and UK, the UN Security Council itself will reportedly meet on Friday, following North Korea’s launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile last weekend.

The US has been pushing for more international sanctions against North Korea over its recent series of missile tests.

Also read: US, UK and France Ask UN to Immediately Hold North Korean Missile Summit

However, last month China and Russia postponed US efforts to impose UN sanctions on five North Koreans involved in their countries’ weapons programmes.

Lavrov is in Beijing with President Vladimir Putin, who will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday before attending the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

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