China says not deliberately circumventing sanctions on Russia

China is not deliberately circumventing sanctions on Russia, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Saturday, a day after China and the European Union held a virtual summit during which the EU told Beijing not to allow Moscow to work around Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.

Wang Lutong, director-general of European affairs at China's foreign ministry, told reporters that China is contributing to the global economy by conducting normal trade with Russia.