Beijing, China - China said on Wednesday it "firmly opposes" a sanctions bill proposed by US senators and supported by President Donald Trump that targets countries buying Russian energy.

A day before Senator Lindsey Graham's death on Saturday night, he, and three other senators reached a deal with President Donald Trump to advance a bipartisan Russian sanctions bill to help stymie the flow of Russian energy.

In response to the bill, the details of which are yet to be fully unveiled, China hit back on Wednesday, accusing Washington of "double standards and coercion." Beijing is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil.

"China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily news briefing.

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China "will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens," he said.

"Practicing double standards and resorting to coercion and pressuring will eventually prove to be self-defeating."

The legislation would give the president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, a crucial source of revenue for Moscow's war effort.

An earlier proposal envisioned tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products.

The agreement follows signs that Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Moscow's failure to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Administration support could remove the most significant political obstacle to a bill that has been under negotiation for months and has attracted backing from lawmakers in both parties.