BEIJING-Beijing condemned “illegal” US sanctions Thursday, a day after Washington unveiled new measures targeting individuals and entities, including those based in China and Hong Kong, that allegedly support Iran’s missile and drone programmes.
US authorities have unveiled new sanctions on actors in Iran, Hong Kong, China and Venezuela, accusing them of “enabling Iran’s destabilizing ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programmes”.
Asked to respond to the measures, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China was “always firmly opposed to illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the US”.
“We will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens,” she said. The US Treasury Department said on Wednesday that it was sanctioning 11 individuals, eight entities and one vessel.
The people targeted have “materially supported” Iran in the production and proliferation of missiles and drones”, the Treasury added.
“Iran’s reckless choice to continue its proliferation of destructive UAVs and other weapons prolongs numerous conflicts in regions around the world,” said Brian Nelson, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a statement.__The Nation
