EU sanctions against Chinese individuals, entity pointless, harmful: Hungarian FM

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, March 22, 2021
Adjust font size:

BUDAPEST, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) sanctions against individuals and entities in China and Myanmar are "pointless" and "harmful", Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

The EU imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entity on Monday, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang.

"Hungary considers it pointless, self-promoting and harmful" that the EU has imposed sanctions on persons and entities in Myanmar and China, Szijjarto said on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

"The sanctions are even more so harmful that they include Chinese nationals," Szijjarto said in a video clip posted on his Facebook account.

Such a decision was especially meaningless at a time when the importance of international cooperation was growing tremendously, when lives should be saved instead of taking sanctioning measures, according to the top Hungarian diplomat.

"With this decision, the EU wants to divert the attention from the real problem, from the common purchase of vaccines, which was poorly handled," he said, noting the sanctions will only be good to "divert the attention from the mismanaged vaccine acquisition of the EU, which can be measured in human lives and in the damage within Europe's economy," Szijjarto said.

In a press statement of the ministry, Szijjarto was cited as saying that the EU's sanctions were extremely damaging, as they would continue to "poison EU-China cooperation."

"If the cooperation (with China) could be put on the ground of rationality, the EU could seriously benefit from it," Szijjarto said.

China decided on Monday to sanction 10 individuals and four entities on the EU side that severely harm China's sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Enditem

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter