China has warned that it will take measures to protect its interests after the United States announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran and entities accused of supporting its economy.
Washington has outlined plans to intensify pressure on Tehran through what it described as the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran, with some of the measures affecting entities in China and expanding the threat of secondary sanctions.
Reacting to the development on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian reiterated Beijing’s opposition to unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States.
“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions,” Lin said during a regular press briefing.
He added that Beijing would “take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests.”
China has maintained close economic ties with Iran and has previously criticised Washington’s use of sanctions against countries and companies doing business with Tehran.
The latest US measures are expected to put additional pressure on Chinese entities with links to Iran, potentially adding another source of tension to already strained relations between Beijing and Washington.
China has consistently argued that unilateral sanctions undermine legitimate international trade and should not be used as a tool of foreign policy.
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