China opposes US sanctions bill on buyers of Russian energy

China said Wednesday that it firmly opposes a sanctions bill proposed by US senators and backed by President Donald Trump that targets countries buying Russian energy.

The bipartisan legislation could allow the United States to increase pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. Senators leading the bill said in a joint statement last week that they expected to unveil an updated version very soon.

China, described in the source as among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, accused Washington of using double standards and coercion.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a news briefing that China firmly opposes what he called illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorised by the UN Security Council. He said China would take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens.

The legislation would give the US president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that keep buying Russian energy, which the source described as an important source of revenue for Moscow's war effort.

The senators had not released details of the latest version of the bill, which they said on Friday had been agreed with Trump. An earlier proposal included tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries buying Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.

The source said the agreement followed signs that Trump had become increasingly frustrated with Moscow's failure to negotiate an end to the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It said administration support could remove the main political obstacle to a bill that has been under negotiation for months and has drawn support from lawmakers in both parties, although quick passage is not guaranteed.

Supporters named in the source included Lindsey Graham, Roger Wicker, Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen. The White House did not immediately comment publicly on the agreement.