BRUSSELS (AP) — China renewed its criticism of Western sanctions against Russia on Friday, as senior European Union officials asked Beijing for assurances that it would not help Moscow circumvent the economic measures imposed. in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also blamed the war in Ukraine, at least in part, on the United States for pushing to expand the NATO military alliance closer to Russia’s borders. Twenty-one of the 27 EU countries are also members of NATO.

During a virtual summit, European Council President Charles Michel, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell sought signs from the Chinese President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang that Beijing would help end the war in Ukraine.

Von der Leyen said the leaders of the two sides “exchanged very clearly opposing views” on many topics, but expressed hope that China would use its influence as a great power and a permanent member of the Security Council. UN security to convince Russia to end the war. .

She added that she at least expects China not to interfere with Western sanctions targeting Russia, even if Beijing does not approve of them.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned in a daily briefing that his country “disapproves of solving problems through sanctions, and we are even more opposed to unilateral sanctions and jurisdiction at arm’s length.” long which have no basis in international law”.

Zhao said that when it comes to Ukraine, Beijing would not be forced to “choose sides or take a simplistic friend-or-foe approach.” We must, in particular, resist the idea of ​​the cold war and the confrontation of blocs.

“As the culprit and main instigator of the Ukraine crisis, the United States led NATO to engage in five rounds of eastward expansion in the past two decades after 1999,” he said. he said, adding that NATO membership had almost doubled from 16 to 30 countries, and pushed “Russia to the wall step by step”.

China says it takes no sides in the conflict, but it has declared a “limitless” partnership with Russia and refuses to condemn the invasion. Beijing regularly amplifies Russian disinformation about the conflict and does not label it an invasion or a war in accordance with Russian practice.

Michel and Von der Leyen did not say whether they had received guarantees from Chinese officials that Beijing would not provide financial or military aid to Russia. Von der Leyen insisted that any support for Russia’s ability to wage war would result in “major reputational damage to China” in Europe.

“The corporate sector is watching events very closely and assessing how countries are positioning themselves,” she said. “It’s a question of trust, reliability and of course long-term investment decisions.”

In a press statement after a first session at the summit, Li was quoted as affirming the importance of China-EU relations, saying he hoped the two “remain open to each other , steadily expand market access, protect fair competition, and promote trade and investment liberalization and ease.”

“China hopes the EU will also provide a healthy business environment for Chinese companies to invest and expand in Europe,” Li said.

The meeting took place amid a growing negative climate within the bloc, fueled by China’s aggressive foreign policy and trade practices.

EU expectations of China underpin the possibility of sanctions against Chinese companies that undermine measures taken against Russia. EU officials point out that 13.7% of China’s total trade is with the 27-nation bloc and 12% with the United States, compared to just 2.4% with Russia.

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Other topics included China’s travel ban on members of the European Parliament; Beijing’s economic boycott of EU member Lithuania over its relationship with Taiwan; the fate of a stalled investment deal; and civil and political rights under the authoritarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party.

Beijing dismissed European criticism as biased and motivated by an anti-China agenda pursued by its main global rival, the United States.

Beijing also sanctioned some European Union lawmakers last year after the EU, Britain, Canada and the United States launched coordinated sanctions against officials in China for human rights abuses. man in the far western region of Xinjiang.

The European Parliament responded by saying it would not ratify a long-awaited investment deal while sanctions remained in place.

Rights groups have also urged the EU to take a more assertive stance with China over the crackdown in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and elsewhere and the persecution of Chinese dissidents, including Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti. and Chinese-Swedish publisher Gui Minhai.

Highlighting some positive discussions that took place at their summit, von der Leyen said the EU and China can cooperate constructively in the fight against climate change and COVID-19.

Xi reportedly said that “the Ukrainian crisis has come on top of a protracted COVID-19 pandemic and a faltering global recovery.”

“In such a context, China and the EU, as two major forces, major markets and major civilizations, should increase communication on their relations and on major issues concerning world peace and development, and play a constructive by adding stabilizing factors to a turbulent environment. world,” Xi said in a statement.