“This proposal is the first attempt to blacklist companies and individuals from China that help the Russian Federation purchase dual-purpose goods”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The new measures provided for in the draft proposals, which RFE/RL has seen, are part of the 15th package of sanctions proposed by Brussels, aimed, among other things, at freezing the assets of six Chinese companies and banning the issuance of visas to one Chinese citizen.
While the EU has previously imposed sanctions on Chinese companies as part of Brussels’ efforts to combat tax evasion, these measures have been to ban EU companies from doing business with these firms. The proposal is the first attempt to blacklist Chinese companies and individuals who help Russia procure dual-use goods that could be used on the battlefield.
If approved, the move would bar entry to the EU for people associated with the company and freeze the assets of every firm in the EU.
The draft sanctions package comes after Russia managed to circumvent sweeping EU and US sanctions aimed at cracking down on its military-industrial complex by diverting critical goods such as microprocessors through or directly from friendly third countries.
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The only person from China who is proposed to be banned from issuing visas is a “Chinese businessman” who represents a company operating in mainland China and Hong Kong, as stated in the draft document, which “violated the prohibitions on circumventing the regime of EU restrictive measures imposed on the Russian Federation.” .
Among the six firms based in China or Hong Kong targeted for sanctions is one owned by a Russian national.
This company, as stated in the draft document, “since the beginning of the aggressive war against Ukraine, has been the largest supplier of sanctioned microelectronic components for Russian companies, which are used to manufacture the Orlan drones used by the Russian military in Ukraine.”
The document also lists 44 legal entities as part of efforts to impose sanctions against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a term used to describe vessels engaged in illegal operations to circumvent sanctions.
The draft sanctions package was first presented to the EU countries on November 22, and in order for it to enter into force, it must be approved by all 27 EU member states.