(Corrects wording in paragraph 1 to make clear China has complained but has not made formal protest)
BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) – The Chinese embassy in Britain said on Tuesday it had lodged “serious representations” with British authorities after London announced sanctions on several entities, including four from China, for allegedly supplying key military equipment to Russia.
It urged Britain to correct what it called a “mistake” and withdraw the sanctions, saying China would take necessary measures to safeguard the rights and interests of its companies, according to a statement published on the embassy’s website.
“On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently promoted peace talks and strictly controlled exports of dual-use goods,” an embassy spokesperson said in the statement. “Normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia should not be disrupted or affected.”
Britain’s new sanctions package, announced on Tuesday, targets Russia’s “shadow” ships and financial networks and also cracks down on third country suppliers of critical military equipment to Russia in China, Thailand and Turkey.
(Reporting by Shi Bu and Liz Lee, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
