On Saturday, China challenged US sanctions against more Chinese companies for alleged attempts to evade US controls on exports to Russia, deeming them an illegal measure that threatens global supply chains.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (US) on Wednesday placed five more companies based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its list of sanctioned entities, preventing them from doing business with any U.S. company without prior authorization. To obtain.
Washington has tightened sanctions on foreign companies it believes are supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, forcing them to choose between dealing with Moscow or the United States.
In total, 28 organizations from countries such as Malta, Turkey and Singapore have been added to the list.
In a statement released on Saturday, China’s Commerce Department said the US actions “have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council.”
“This is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of ‘long arm jurisdiction’ that seriously undermines the legitimate rights and interests of companies and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China is categorically against this,” the report said.
The US, he adds, “should immediately correct these violations and stop the unwarranted crackdown on Chinese companies.”
The ministry said China “will resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”
The most recent sanctions applied were against Allparts Trading Co., Ltd.; Avtex Semiconductor Limited; ETK Electronics Ltd.; Makstronic International Co., Ltd.; and STK Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in Hong Kong.
The list identifies entities—mostly companies—that the US suspects have “been involved, involved, or pose a significant risk of being, or becoming involved, in activities contrary to the interests of the national security or foreign policy of the United States.” .
The named organizations were designated “military end users” for “attempting to bypass export controls and purchase or attempt to purchase US-origin products to support Russia’s military and/or defense industrial base,” the US Department of Commerce said in a statement.
The Chinese protest was similar to one issued in February after the US announced sanctions against China’s Changsha Tianyi Co., a space science and technology research institute. Ltd., also known as Spacety China.
The US Department of Commerce said the company provided Russian private army Wagner Group with satellite imagery of Ukraine to support its military operations. The Luxembourg subsidiary of Spacety China has also been charged.
At the time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the US of “blatant intimidation and double standards” for imposing sanctions on their companies while stepping up efforts to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons.
China has maintained a position of neutrality in the conflict but supported Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western countries have imposed punitive sanctions and tried to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing refused to condemn Russia’s actions, criticized Western economic sanctions on Moscow, maintained trade ties and claimed “borderless” relations between the countries just weeks before the Russian invasion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow last month, and on Friday China announced that Defense Minister Li Shangfu would travel to Russia next week to meet with his counterpart Sergei Shoigu and other military officials.
However, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday that China would not sell weapons to either side of the conflict, responding to Western fears that Beijing could provide direct military assistance to Russia.