China protests against ‘illegal’ US sanctions on firms dealing with Russia

The commerce ministry in Beijing said the move targeting companies in mainland China and Hong Kong endangered global supply chains

The firms were targeted over their alleged attempts to evade US export controls on Russia

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The Chinese commerce ministry said the move was against international law. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:25pm, 15 Apr 2023

Beijing on Saturday issued a protest about the latest US sanctions against Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade US export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains.

The US Commerce Department on Wednesday put five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its “entity list,” barring them from trading with any American firms without gaining a nearly unobtainable special licence.

Washington has been tightening up enforcement of sanctions against foreign firms it sees as providing assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine, forcing them to choose between trading with Moscow or with the US.

A total of 28 entities from countries ranging from Malta to Turkey to Singapore were added to the list.

A statement from China’s commerce ministry said the US action “has no basis in international law and is not authorised by the United Nations Security Council”.

“It is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ which seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China firmly opposes this,” the statement said.