China is firmly opposed to the U.S. sanctions bill targeting the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing while commenting on a question about the new U.S. bill.

“China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council,” he said. Lin Jian stressed that Beijing will take all necessary measures to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.