HONG KONG -- The latest U.S. government sanctions issued Thursday, Asia time, included about 20 companies from China and Hong Kong that have allegedly assisted Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Although this is not the first time Washington has imposed penalties on mainland and Hong Kong entities, the new list comes at a critical moment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Beijing just last week to directly tell President Xi Jinping how the White House aims to curb support for Russia's defense industrial base. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had conveyed a similar message to the Chinese leadership just weeks earlier.
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