'Unilateral Sanctions That Have No Basis in International Law': China Fires Back at US’s Russia Sanctions Bill

Beijing: China has sharply criticized a new US sanctions package targeting Russia, dismissing it as an unlawful exercise of long-arm jurisdiction that violates international norms.

A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stated that China “has always conducted normal economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.” The cooperation, the spokesperson emphasized, “is not directed at any third party nor is it subject to interference or coercion from any third party.”

China “opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and authorisation from the UN Security Council,” the spokesperson added.

The remarks came after the US House of Representatives passed the legislation on Wednesday by a vote of 262 to 159. The bill, formally titled the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” now heads to President Donald Trump for signature.

Named after the late Republican senator and Trump ally Lindsey Graham, the measure was the product of more than a year of negotiations. It expands sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions and banking authorities, and targets vessels associated with Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which the United States claims has helped sustain Russian energy exports despite existing Western restrictions.

A central provision would authorize the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest importers of Russian petroleum or natural gas. Countries that import less than 15 percent of Russian natural gas exports and have taken substantial steps to reduce those purchases would be eligible for an exemption.

India and China rank among the largest buyers of Russian crude. For India, the bill creates a statutory pathway that could allow Washington to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on Indian goods if energy purchases from Russia continue. The legislation itself does not automatically impose such tariffs; it grants the executive branch discretionary authority to do so under defined conditions once the measure is enacted and invoked by the president.

Supporters of the bill have argued that access to the US market can serve as leverage against nations that continue purchasing Russian energy. The Senate had previously approved the package by an 86-11 vote on August 7, though progress in the House slowed amid disputes over the tariff provisions.

The legislation also incorporates a five-year extension of existing US sanctions on Iran, a demand from President Trump that helped secure his support for the overall package.

Also Read: 'Unfriendly Actions': Russia Warns New US Sanctions Will 'Complicate' Ukraine Peace Efforts