US has no immediate plan to sanction Chinese banks over Russia

The United States has preliminarily discussed sanctions on some Chinese banks but does not yet have a plan to implement such measures as Washington seeks ways to curb Beijing's support for Russia.

There was no plan to roll out sanctions on China's banks in the near-term, and officials hope that diplomacy will avert the need for such action, a US official told Reuters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit China this week.

The Wall Street Journal reported on April 22, citing people familiar with the matter, that the US was drafting sanctions against some Chinese banks in the hopes of stopping Beijing's commercial support of Russia's military production.

The White House and Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In recent weeks, US officials have intensified pressure on China, warning that Washington was ready to take action against Chinese financial institutions facilitating trade in goods with dual civilian and military applications.