Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

China consistently opposes long-arm jurisdiction that lacks a basis in international law and is not authorized by the United Nations Security Council, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a press conference on Thursday.

He made the remarks in response to a question regarding a bill passed by the US Congress that grants the US president new power to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil products. 

Guo stated that China has always carried out normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Such cooperation neither targets any third party nor is subject to interference or coercion from any third party.

Some media reports said that the newly passed US bill targets Russia's leading energy buyers - China and India -- although the purchasers of Russian energy are not explicitly named in the bill.

According to media reports, many members in the US House of Representatives opposed the sanctions bill on Russian oil, saying that "it would hand too much tariff authority to a White House already liberally applying tariffs against both friends and foes alike."

"The costly tariffs have already cost hardworking Americans thousands of dollars, further burdening families' already stretched budgets," a congressperson from Illinois wrote on Wednesday on his personal website.

Global Times