The Chinese Ministry of Commerce expressed a “resolute protest” on Sunday, April 26, after the European Unio included several Chinese companies in its 20th sanctions package against Russia, Reuters reported.
Beijing has demanded the immediate removal of these firms from the list, which targets suppliers of critical high-tech goods from third countries. The sanctioned Chinese companies are accused of providing dual-use goods or weapons systems to the Russian military-industrial complex.
In an official statement, the Ministry claimed the EU’s move “undermines mutual trust” and contradicts previous agreements between Chinese and European leaders, warning that “all consequences will rest on the shoulders of the EU.”
The approval of the 20th sanctions package follows a significant diplomatic breakthrough in Brussels. On Thursday, the Council of the EU officially adopted the measures alongside a €90-billion loan for Ukraine after Hungary and Slovakia lifted their long-standing vetoes. The deadlock ended only after Ukraine completed repairs and restarted oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline on April 22.
The €90-billion financial package is designed to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s external financing needs for 2026-27, with the first disbursements expected to flow by late May or early June.
While EU officials, including Cyprus’s Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, hailed the package as “vital support” for Kyiv, the inclusion of Chinese entities signals the bloc’s increasing readiness to confront third-party supporters of Moscow’s war effort.
As Beijing threatens retaliatory “necessary measures,” the tension highlights the growing geopolitical friction between the EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and its complex economic relationship with China.