SP-Indonesia.com, Malaysia – Tensions between the United States and China are heating up again. Beijing has firmly stated that it will not comply with sanctions imposed by Washington on five Chinese companies accused of involvement in purchasing oil from Iran.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated in an official statement that the unilateral sanctions have no basis in international law and will not be recognized or implemented by its government.
“China consistently opposes unilateral sanctions that do not have UN Security Council authorization,” Beijing said in a statement.
This tough move comes after the United States increased pressure on Iran’s oil trading network, which has been a major source of revenue for Tehran amid the economic embargo.
Washington has targeted five companies, including an independent refinery or “teapot refinery” in Shandong Province: Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengxing Chemical. In addition, two other companies on the sanctions list are Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery and Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group.
The US accuses these companies of importing tens of millions of barrels of crude oil from Iran, reportedly generating billions of dollars for the Tehran government.
However, Beijing views this action as unilateral intervention that violates international relations norms. The Chinese government has also asserted that it will protect the legitimate interests of its companies.
On the other hand, China is known as a major buyer of Iranian oil, primarily through independent refineries that rely on discounted oil supplies to maintain production efficiency.
These latest sanctions also come amid a diplomatic deadlock between Washington and Tehran, following heightened regional tensions since the conflict involving the US and its allies against Iran earlier this year.
The situation has drawn further global attention as US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit China soon to meet with President Xi Jinping.
(Malaysia Reporter: Ahmady)
