Chinese firms that trade with Russia are seeking alternatives to official finance channels, as the threat of US sanctions looms, Reuters reports.

An appliance maker in southern China is finding it hard to ship its products to Russia, not because of any problems with the gadgets but because China's big banks are throttling payments for such transactions out of concern over U.

Major Chinese banks are limiting payments for transactions with Russia, fearing U.S. sanctions, Reuters reported on April 29, citing undisclosed trading and banking sources. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Washington is drafting sanctions that will threaten to cut off Chinese banks that aid Russia's war effort from the global