Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, escalating sanctions have not helped to ease the situation, but have created more problems for the world. The US is the only "sanction empire" in the world, which regards sanctions as a tool to seek illegal interest rather than a way of achieving justice as it claims, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said on Monday.

On the one hand, the US wielded sweeping sanctions against Russia, despite buying Russian oil on its own. What is the morality of such sanctions? The US has no right to make the people of all countries pay for its strategic self-interest, Zhao said at a regular press conference in Beijing.

The comments came after the US is reportedly increasing crude oil supplies from Russia, in a contrasting move to pressuring its European allies to not buy Russian oil, natural gas, coal and other commodities.

The US increased crude oil supplies from Russia by 43 percent, or 100,000 barrels per day, Russia's Security Council Deputy Secretary Mikhail Popov told Russian media on April 4, with critics pointing out that the US is pursuing its own interests at the costs of its European allies.

The EU has struck a major deal on liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the US last month, a move that will come with a hefty bill for European taxpayers, while huge profits for US LNG producers who have long been seeking buyers in the world.

What is even more ironic is that the US, meanwhile, is taking the opportunity to buy Russia oil at a low price while persuading its allies not to, Zhao said.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the US has frequently put pressure on other countries to impose sanctions on Russia, otherwise they will have to pay a "price". However, the escalating sanctions instead brought the world more new problems - electricity bills, heating bills, and transportation bills have all surged in many countries, as have the cost of food and other daily necessities, Zhao said.

The real victims of the sanctions are those developing countries whose economic foundations are weak. Their economic development and social stability are all seriously threatened, the official said.

Global Times