Beijing: New U.S. sanctions against Chinese refineries should not be followed

Pars Today – China’s Ministry of Commerce announced that the country will not comply with U.S. sanctions against five companies that have been targeted for purchasing Iranian oil.

According to Pars Today, citing IRNA, China’s Ministry of Commerce responded to recent U.S. sanctions imposed over the past months on five refinery and petrochemical units in the country, stating that unilateral U.S. sanctions are illegal and should not be implemented.

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce said: “These sanctions improperly prevent or restrict Chinese companies from carrying out normal economic and trade activities with third countries and violate international law and the fundamental norms governing international relations. The Chinese government has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions that lack United Nations authorization and a legal basis in international law.”

The ruling includes three companies in Shandong Province (“Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group,” “Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical,” and “Shandong Shengxing Chemical”) as well as two other companies elsewhere in China: “Hengli (Dalian) Petrochemical Refinery” and “Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group.”