Exclusive | EU cuts 5 Chinese firms from sanctions list after Beijing vows to stop flow of military goods to Russia
- Sources say the three remaining businesses are Russian entities operating in China and will remain on the list
- Measures are part of a broader package of sanctions, the 11th in total, designed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine
The European Union has narrowed the list of mainland China- and Hong Kong-based firms it plans to sanction for funnelling banned European goods to the Russian military.
Three companies remain on a draft sanctions list, according to several diplomats and officials familiar with the matter. This is down from an initial eight, although the final number is not set in stone.
The measures are part of a broader package of sanctions, the 11th in total, designed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Five Chinese firms were tentatively removed from the list after talks with Chinese diplomats in Brussels. The Chinese side said it would work to ensure those businesses stop reselling hi-tech goods made in Europe that are flowing to Russia’s war machine.
The three remaining businesses were found to be Russian entities operating in China and will be kept on the list. However, it is seen as a fluid situation: should the Chinese firms continue selling banned European goods to Russian military buyers, they can quickly be re-added.
Two EU diplomats said the arrangement can be seen as a test of whether China is acting in good faith.
