BEIJING – Moscow and Beijing lashed out Friday at Washington’s newanti-Russian sanctions that also target China for the first time, warningthe United States could face consequences.

The United States is “playing with fire”, Russia’s deputy foreign ministerSergei Ryabkov said, while Beijing voiced “strong indignation” over themove.

United in their resentment of America’s global influence, China and Russiahave sought in recent years to tighten up their ties and this monthconducted week-long joint military drills, Moscow’s largest ever war games.

On Thursday, China — which is also locked in a trade war with Washington —got caught up in the sanctions war against Russia as the United Statesannounced a new raft of measures that would punish third countries fordealing with Moscow.

Stepping up pressure on Moscow over its “malign activities,” the US StateDepartment said it was placing financial sanctions on the EquipmentDevelopment Department of the Chinese Ministry of Defence, and its topadministrator, for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jetsand S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

Beijing on Friday urged the United States to withdraw sanctions or “bearthe consequences”.

“The US actions have seriously violated the basic principles ofinternational relations and seriously damaged the relations between the twocountries and the two militaries,” said foreign ministry spokesman GengShuang, adding Beijing had lodged an official protest with the UnitedStates.

“We strongly urge the US to immediately correct their mistake and withdrawtheir so-called sanctions, otherwise the US will have to bear theconsequences.”

US officials said it was the first time a third country has been punishedunder the CAATSA sanctions legislation for dealing with Russia, signallingDonald Trump’s administration will risk relations with other countries inits campaign against Moscow.

– ‘Undermining stability’ –

Moscow said Washington was rocking global stability and said sarcasticallythat placing sanctions on Russia has become Washington’s favourite“pastime.”

“It would be good for them to remember there is such a concept as globalstability which they are thoughtlessly undermining by whipping up tensionsin Russian-American ties,” said Ryabkov.

“Playing with fire is silly, it can become dangerous,” he said in astatement.

The State Department also announced it was placing 33 Russian intelligenceand military-linked actors on its sanctions blacklist.

All of them — defence related firms, officers of the GRU militaryintelligence agency, and people associated with the Saint Petersburg-basedInternet Research Agency disinformation group — have been on previous USsanctions lists.

Twenty eight of them have already been indicted by Robert Mueller, who isinvestigating election meddling by Russia.

US officials said that the US could consider similar action against othercountries taking delivery of Russian fighter jets and missiles.

Turkey is in talks to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia.

Ryabkov reiterated that none of the rounds of sanctions had managed toforce Russia to change its course so far.

“It appears that it has become a sort of national pastime there,” he added,noting the latest round of anti-Russian measures was the 60th since 2011.

For all of Russia’s seemingly upbeat rhetoric the new measures can hurt thecountry’s struggling economy.

Arms exports are an important source of revenue for the country and lastyear Russia sold more than $14 billion worth of arms overseas.

– Sanctions target only Russia? –

A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity,insisted the ultimate target was Russia.

“CAATSA sanctions in this context are not intended to undermine the defencecapabilities of any particular country,” the official said.

CAATSA, or the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, waspassed in 2017 as a tool that gives Washington more ways to target Russia,Iran and North Korea with economic and political sanctions.

China’s EDD and its director Li Shangfu became targets after takingdelivery over the past year of the jets and missiles from Rosoboronexport,Russia’s main arms exporter already on the US blacklist for its support ofBashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

The US official said Washington had spent “an enormous amount of time”seeking to discourage prospective buyers of Russian arms.

The new sanctions came as the United States and China are in the heat of atrade war.

The two countries will launch new tariffs on Monday, with Washingtontargeting $200 billion in Chinese exports and Beijing hitting $60 billionworth of American products. – APP/AFP