New Delhi: With the European Union (EU) imposing sanctions against firms in India and China on the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine, a leading Chinese publication cited a recent remark made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and stated that it reflected “the views of all those who have not participated in the Western sanctions against Russia”.
An opinion piece headlined ‘Including Chinese, Indian firms in Russia sanctions unreasonable’ in the Global Times, the daily English tabloid that serves as the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, stated that “it is both disheartening and worrying for the global economy to witness the West once more intensifying sanctions against Russia and even extending them to third countries, rather than reflecting on and acknowledging the past mistakes and economic perils associated with the indiscriminate use of sanctions”.
Last week, the EU agreed on a fresh set of sanctions against Russia that for the first time targets Chinese and Indian companies accused of “supporting Moscow’s war efforts”.
According to a statement issued by the European Commission on February 23, the companies against which sanctions have be imposed include one in India and four in China. All these companies deal in the area of what the EU called dual use electronic equipment. Of the four Chinese companies, three are in mainland China and one in Hong Kong.
The Global Times opinion piece stated that “Western sanctions against Russia are actually illegal and unilateral actions, which have not been approved by the UN”.
“The US and its European allies, regardless of how powerful they are, do not represent the entire international community,” it read. “It makes no sense for them to escalate sanctions and exert pressure on other countries by targeting normal economic exchanges between Russia and other countries.”
The article then referred to a remark made by Jaishankar at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. During a panel discussion with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock beside him, Jaishankar said that India buying oil from Russia should not be a problem for others.
“Is that a problem, why should that be a problem?” Jaishankar asked. “If I am smart enough to have multiple options, you should be admiring me. Is that a problem for others? I don’t think so, certainly in this case. We try to explain what are the different pulls and pressures that countries have. It’s very hard to have that unidimensional relationship.”
The Global Times opinion piece endorsed Jaishankar’s remarks stating: “What Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said recently on the sidelines of the Munich conference may just show the view of all those who have not participated in Western sanctions against Russia.” The article went on to state that the world is not ruled by the US and its European allies only.
“Their goal of containing Russia is their own business, and they have no right to demand other countries sacrifice their development opportunities to serve Western strategies,” it read. “When it comes to how to deal with Russia, emerging economies should have the right to consider and choose from their own interests.”
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