China's Banks Not Accepting Russian Payments

Three of China's Largest Banks have stopped accepting Payments from Sanctioned Russian Financial Institutions, dealing a blow to Relations between the Two Nations.

The Decision was made by: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China, due to the "risks of Secondary Sanctions" from the U.S.

These Banks rank First, Second, and Fourth in terms of Assets in China. Transactions with Non-Sanctioned Banks are still ongoing.

In December, 2023, Washington threatened to Block Foreign Banks that conduct Business with Firms that support Russia's Defense Industry from its Financial system.

Beijing and Moscow have maintained close Ties throughout Russia's Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine, and Declared a "No Limits" Partnership in February 2022, days before the War began. China has Not Ppublicly Criticized President Vladimir Putin's Decision to Invade Ukraine nearly Two years ago.

Russia's Economy took a hit in February 2022, after the Invasion began, when it was subject to more than 13,000 Restrictions and became the World's Most-Sanctioned Country, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Foreign Exchange Reserves were Frozen and Russia was Cut-Off from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) Banking system.

Alexey Poroshin, the General Director of Investment and Consulting firm First Group, said the Banks notified their Russian Clients, that they would stop accepting Payments at the beginning of January.

It comes after Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial Bank, the Leading Chinese Bank used by Russian Iimporters, halted Operations in Russia earlier this month.

The move showed how much Chinese Firms fear breaking U.S.-led Sanctions.

"Chinese banks strive to comply with U.S. sanctions, therefore, to reduce their own risks, settlements in U.S. dollars in trade with Russia have practically ceased and have been replaced by Chinese yuan settlements," said Pavel Bazhanov, a Russian Lawyer who provides Legal support for Russian Businesses in China and the wider Region.

Bazhanov said that U.S. President Joe Biden's Executive Order 14114, issued on December 22nd, 2023, "creates a new risk of secondary sanctions" for Financial institutions in China.

Chinese Banks are Suspending operations to assess the new risks and update their compliance requirements," He said.

Bden is to announce New Russian Sanctions on Friday.









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