BEIJING — China’s foreign ministry on Saturday summoned the U.S. ambassador to deliver a strong protest against economic sanctions lodged over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment. The ministry’s statement issued via state media gave no details, although the ministry earlier demanded the sanctions be revoked. The U.S. State Department said Li’s department made a “significant transaction” involving the purchase of Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment. The sanctions were enacted “to further impose costs on the Russian government in response to its malign activities,” Nauert said in the statement. The Kremlin dismissed the sanctions as an “unfair” move to undercut Russia as a major arms exporter.

Source: National Post September 22, 2018 15:10 UTC