China rejects US sanctions bill, opposes 'long-arm jurisdiction'

China on Thursday rejected the US “long-arm jurisdiction” to impose tariffs on purchases of Russian oil and gas, saying its normal trade and economic cooperation with other countries should not be subject to interference or coercion by third parties. The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act 2026 that authorises Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its leading trading partners such as India and China. Asked about the bill, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing in Beijing that China opposes any action that lacks UN Security Council authorisation.
China has always conducted normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world based on equality and mutual benefit, he said. “Such cooperation neither targets any third party nor is subject to interference or coercion from any third party,” Guo said. Beijing has repeatedly opposed unilateral sanctions and has also continued to buy oil from Iran despite US sanctions. China, along with India, is among the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. A substantial portion of China's Russian energy imports is transported through pipelines crossing the two countries' land border.
According to official data, China's imports of Russian oil and gas totalled USD 64 billion last year, while imports during the January-August period this year crossed USD 70 billion.