President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (photo: EPA-EFE)

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the focus is now on cracking down on Russia’s circumvention via third countries, together with the EU’s international partners. The new package is expected to add dozens of new companies to the list, including those from China, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Right after Ursula von der Leyen's speech, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who is on a visit to Germany, said that China opposes some countries’ unilateral sanctions against China or other countries according to their domestic laws. In that case, China will take practical actions to protect the legitimate interests of Chinese companies, he added.

Seven Chinese companies are under the EU’s consideration for sanctions, including two companies based in China and five companies based in Hong Kong (China).

Experts said that in order for the new sanctions to be approved, the EU needs the consensus of all 27 member states. The proposal is likely to face resistance from some member states that have close trade relations with China.