The Japanese government is considering imposing sanctions on entities, including Chinese companies, suspected of supporting Russia’s military and energy development, in order to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from providing military supplies to Russia.
The US government has pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party is supplying raw materials to Russia that can be used for military purposes, including nitrocellulose used in ammunition production. This behavior has led to the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, causing great concern among European and American countries.
According to a report by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) on Wednesday, the Japanese government is considering implementing new sanctions on third-country entities, including Chinese companies, suspected of being involved in supplying these raw materials to make them stop assisting Russia in its military aggression.
The Japanese government is working on new sanction measures, including potentially adding the involved entities to an export control list. This would mark the first time that Japan imposes sanctions on Chinese companies in response to the situation in Ukraine.
Once the sanctions are finalized, Prime Minister Kishida will present the proposal to various countries at the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit. The summit is scheduled to take place in Fasano, Apulia region, Italy from June 13 to 15.
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby stated on Tuesday that the US will announce a series of “more impactful” export control measures against Russia at the G7 meeting in Italy this week, describing these measures as aiming to “further escalate the cost of Russia’s war machine”.
According to Bloomberg, the Biden administration is planning to announce an expansion of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, restricting Russia’s access to components such as chips necessary for military production, targeting third-party sellers like China, including entities in Hong Kong.
Last month, the US Department of the Treasury included 300 companies and individuals suspected of aiding Russia, including 20 companies from mainland China and Hong Kong, on the sanctions list. This is one of the most extensive actions taken by the US government against Chinese enterprises in the context of sanctions on Russia and involves the largest number of Chinese companies to date.