MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“China does not agree with unilateral sanctions that lack the basis of international law”, foreign ministry spokesperson

China noted the relevant parties’ statements on the nuclear issue. When it comes to European security, all countries’ legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously

China's foreign ministry spokesperson during the daily media conference called for an end to the Cold War mentality and emphasized that Beijing does not agree to resolve issues with sanctions that lack the basis of international law.

When asked about Russian banks cut out of the Swift banking system decided by Western nations to put pressure on Moscow to reach a cease fire and dialogue about the future of Ukraine, Wang Wenbin said, “China does not agree with resolving issues with sanctions, still less unilateral sanctions that lack the basis of international law. Reality has long proven that sanctions not only fail to resolve problems, but will create new ones. It will result in a situation where multiple players lose, and will disrupt the process of political settlement”.

Further on the spokesperson indicated that China is closely following the development of the Ukraine situation and supports all efforts that are conducive to easing the situation and seeking political settlement.

China noted the relevant parties’ statements on the nuclear issue. I want to stress once again that, when it comes to European security, all countries’ legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously. When NATO has made five waves of eastward expansion,

Russia’s legitimate demands should be taken seriously and addressed properly. Relevant parities should exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of the situation.

Furthermore, ”countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected and upheld and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be jointly safeguarded. This is a principle China consistently holds and a basic norm governing international relations that all countries should adhere to. At the same time we recognize the special historical complexities on the Ukraine issue and understand Russia’s legitimate security concerns.

China calls for efforts to completely discard the Cold War mentality and forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through dialogue and negotiation.