China's foreign ministry has responded to the House passing a bill Wednesday named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C., that would expand penalties on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions.

"Economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries does not target any third party and shall be free from disruption or coercion from any third party," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The spokesperson added: "China opposes long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and lack UN Security Council mandate."

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, introduced by Graham last year, authorizes 100% tariffs on all goods imported to the U.S. from countries that buy a sufficient amount of crude oil or natural gas from Russia.

The bill, if passed, would impose this penalty if a country ends up ranking among the five largest importers of Russian energy during the preceding 12 months.

China was by the far the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels in August, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Iran is also targeted by the bill, which, if signed by President Donald Trump, would extend existing U.S. sanctions on Tehran through 2031.