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China Defends Russia Military Ties After U.S. Sanctions

China Defends Russia Military Ties After U.S. Sanctions

(Bloomberg) -- China’s military cooperation with Russia is “normal,” in accordance with international law, and the U.S. has no right to intervene, Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said Saturday in response to Washington’s sanctions on its military agency.

China urges the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes and withdraw the so-called sanctions, otherwise it must “bear the consequences,” Wu said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

The U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions on China’s Equipment Development Department and director Li Shangfu “for engaging in significant transactions with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms export entity.” The measures taken by Washington related to the purchase of Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in 2018.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stanley James at sjames8@bloomberg.net, Jasmine Ng

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With assistance from Editorial Board