Bejing has openly opposed the West-led economic sanctions on Russia while insisting it would maintain normal trade exchanges with the country despite its invasion of Ukraine. However, Chinese authorities have recently urged state-run companies to be cautious about their investment in Russia, due to fears it may also be subjected to similar sanctions. Quoting insiders, Reuters reported that China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) recently suspended its plan to invest up to $500 million in a new gas chemical plant in Russia. The plan involved joining Sibur, Russia’s largest petrochemical producer, for a project similar to the $10 billion Amur Gas Chemical Complex in East Siberia, 40 percent owned by Sinopec and 60 percent owned by Sibur, Reuters said. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mouthpiece, Xinhua News, stated in December that the Amur Gas Chemical Complex is a key project for Sino-Russian investment cooperation. A source familiar with the matter told …