China slams new US sanctions over Iran oil deals

China has lambasted the “bullying” United States for imposing new sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals over shipping oil from Iran.

The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced that five Chinese nationals and six entities, including two Cosco Shipping Corporation subsidiaries, had been targeted in the new measures, accusing them of violating the illegal US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang criticized Washington for the new sanctions, insisting that China’s cooperation with Iran was legitimate and legal.

“We always oppose the so-called long arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions. We also oppose the bullying practice of the US,” said Geng during a regular press conference, urging Washington “to correct its wrongdoing.”

Ever since quitting the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018, US President Donald Trump has been running what he refers to as a “maximum pressure” of sanctions against Tehran.

The American sanctions target both Iran and its international partners, including European countries that seek to engage in trade with the Islamic Republic.

So-called secondary sanctions target the foreign companies that do business with Iran. Affected countries, including China, say those bans violate their sovereignty because their bilateral interactions with Iran are targeted by a third country, namely the US.

Beijing calls the imposition of the so-called secondary sanctions the practicing of “long arm jurisdiction.”

Meanwhile, Chine and the US are involved in a trade war.

Press TV