BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday called on the European Union (EU) to stop damaging the legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises without any factual ground, and said it will take necessary measures to protect their lawful rights and interests.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at the daily press briefing when asked to comment on the EU's latest sanctions against Russia, which involve multiple Chinese enterprises and banks.

"I would like to emphasize that China has always opposed unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international laws and are not authorized by the UN Security Council," Guo said.

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, he said China has been committed to promoting peace talks, has never provided lethal weapons to the conflicting parties, and has exercised strict control over the export of dual-use items.

The normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises should not be interfered with or affected, he added.