New Delhi, Mar 2 (IANS): China will maintain normal trade relations with Russia despite international sanctions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has said.

"China and Russia will continue to carry out normal trade cooperation following the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit," he said, RT reported.

According to the spokesman, China's position is to oppose any "illegally imposed" unilateral sanctions, believing that "sanctions are not an effective solution to solve problems".

During an earlier press conference, the spokesman had stated that China's stance on the conflict in Ukraine has not changed.

Replying to a question about humanitarian aid, he said China is "ready to play a constructive role in easing the situation in Ukraine".

Speaking on Monday at an emergency UN session, China's permanent representative Zhang Jun said that it's possible to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through direct dialogue and negotiations, RT reported.

Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping issued a joint declaration calling for a halt to NATO expansion, which Moscow was opposed to and has tried to mitigate through obtaining security guarantees from the US-led military bloc.