When asked to comment on the EU and the UK's announcement on Tuesday of a new round of sanctions against Russia - targeting its energy, military, and financial sectors and also including Chinese and UAE companies on the sanctions list, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Wednesday that China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council. She expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the EU's unjust sanctions against Chinese companies. 

Mao emphasized that China has always been committed to promoting peace talks and de-escalation regarding the Ukraine crisis. It has never provided lethal weapons to any party involved in the conflict and strictly controls the export of dual-use items. She also noted that most countries, including those in Europe and the US, continue to conduct trade with Russia. Normal interactions and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises should not be disrupted or interfered with. The EU should stop applying double standards on economic and trade cooperation with Russia and refrain from harming the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its lawful rights and interests, said Mao.

China has postponed the return of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for Tuesday, due to unfavorable weather conditions at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the China Manned Space Agency said.

The weather conditions failed to meet mission requirements, the agency said, adding that the operation will be rescheduled in the coming days to ensure astronaut safety and mission success.