China’s commerce minister formally complained to his EU counterpart over two Chinese banks’ inclusion in the bloc’s sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, Beijing said on Wednesday, July 23rd.
After the EU adopted a sweeping new package of sanctions on Russia, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen will be in Beijing on Thursday for talks with top Chinese leaders over tense topics like trade and the war in Ukraine, with few concrete outcomes expected.
Among other targets, sanctions will be placed on a Russian-owned oil refinery in India and two Chinese banks as the EU seeks to curb Moscow’s ties with international partners.
In talks with EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič on Tuesday, the Chinese commerce ministry said Commerce Minister Wang Wentao “made solemn representations regarding the inclusion of two Chinese financial institutions in the EU’s 18th round of sanctions against Russia.”
