oh The United States Department of Commerce (USA) on Wednesday added five more companies based in China and Hong Kong to its list of sanctioned companies.
Washington has tightened sanctions against foreign companies deemed to be supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine, forcing them to choose between dealing with Moscow or the United States.
A total of 28 companies from countries such as Malta, Turkey and Singapore have now been added to the list.
In a statement released today, China’s Ministry of Commerce said the US move “has no basis in international law and is not authorized by the United Nations Security Council”.
“This is a typical unilateral sanction and a form of ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, which seriously undermines the legitimate rights and interests of companies and affects the security and stability of the global supply chain. China firmly opposes it,” it noted.
The U.S., he added, “must immediately correct these wrongs and stop its unjustified repression of Chinese companies.”
China will “resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” the ministry says.
ALBERT’S TRADING CO., LTD. Avtex Semiconductor Limited; ETC Electronics Limited; Maxtronic International Co., Ltd.; and STK Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in Hong Kong.
The list identifies entities — essentially companies — that the U.S. suspects “has engaged in, engaged in, or may engage in or engage in activities contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.” .
The U.S. Department of Commerce says the named companies are designated as “military end users” to “evade export controls and purchase or attempt to purchase U.S.-origin products to support Russia’s military and/or defense industrial base.”
The Chinese protest was similar to those issued in February after the United States announced sanctions against China’s Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute. Ltd., also known as Spacity China.
The U.S. Commerce Department has accused the company of providing satellite imagery to Russia’s private military arm Wagner Group to support military operations in Ukraine. A subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Spaceity China was also charged.
At the time, China’s foreign ministry accused the US of “leading intimidation and double standards” for allowing its companies to step up efforts to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons.
China has maintained a neutral position in the conflict, but has supported Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when the West has imposed punitive sanctions and tried to isolate Moscow over Ukraine.
Beijing refused to condemn Russia’s actions, criticized Western economic sanctions on Moscow, maintained trade ties and insisted on a “borderless” relationship between the countries in the weeks before the Russian invasion.
Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow, and Defense Minister Li Shangfu will travel to Russia next week for meetings with his rival, Sergei Shoigu, and other military officials, China announced on Friday.
However, responding to Western concerns that Beijing could provide direct military aid to Russia, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday that China would not sell arms to either side in the conflict.
Also read: China guarantees no arms sales to any party in Ukraine
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