China's Foreign Ministry says China opposes sanctions in handling international relations and called for a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine's southern Crimea autonomous republic.
On Thursday, the U.S. government announced visa bans and an asset freeze against those involved in what it called Russia's takeover of Crimea. Earlier the U.S. also suspended trade and investment talks and military-to-military engagement with Russia.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "China is opposed to the frequent use of sanctions or the threat of sanctions in international relations.
"We hope that all sides will take steps that avoid further worsening tensions and work hard to find a political solution to the crisis. This is the fundamental way out of this crisis."
