China urges Ukraine to remove Chinese firms from "international sponsors of war" list, citing potential damage to relations
"Exclusive: China tells Ukraine to remove its firms from 'sponsors of war' list" 1 February 2024
China demanded on Thursday that Ukraine immediately remove more than a dozen Chinese companies from a list of firms designated as "international sponsors of war", saying it wanted Kyiv to "eliminate negative impacts".
The remarks came after Reuters reported that China's ambassador in Kyiv had told senior Ukrainian government officials last month that the inclusion of the companies on the list could hurt bilateral ties...
Ukraine has listed 48 companies globally, including 14 from China, as "international sponsors of war" whose business activities it says indirectly assist in or contribute to Russia's war efforts...
The source added that China had not set any conditions for Ukraine, but simply expressed its view about the list. The second source suggested Beijing could link the matter to Chinese purchases of Ukrainian grain...
The blacklist, which has no legal implications for the firms it includes, takes issue with what it describes as extensive cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies in sectors including oil and gas, the main source of revenue for Moscow.
It features Chinese energy giants China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
Sinopec and CNOOC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CNPC stated that the list was not a new development...