China expresses opposition to new US bill imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran
Beijing, 19 Sep (KUNA) -- China reaffirmed on Saturday its consistent opposition to sanctions that lack United Nations authorization and are not grounded in international law, following the United States' passage of a bill aimed at tightening sanctions against Russia and Iran.
The statement was issued by China's Ministry of Commerce in response to U.S. President Donald Trump signing the "Lindsey Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026," which grants him the authority to impose "secondary" tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that purchase oil and natural gas from Russia, including China and India.
Xinhua News Agency quoted the statement as saying, "Beijing opposes the imposition of so-called secondary sanctions against other countries on the grounds of their ties with a third party," noting that China has continued to cooperate normally with countries around the world in the economic and trade spheres on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
The statement added that China will closely monitor subsequent U.S. actions and reserves the right to take all necessary measures to defend its national sovereignty, development interests, and the legal and legitimate rights of its companies.
It expressed hope that the U.S. side would work to meet China halfway and safeguard the overall stability of bilateral trade relations through dialogue and consultation, thereby making greater contributions to maintaining the global trading system and the security of industrial and supply chains worldwide.
The White House announced on Friday that President Trump signed a bill imposing a package of stringent sanctions on Russia and Iran after the U.S. House of Representatives passed it last Wednesday with bipartisan support from the Republican and Democratic parties.
This statement also comes after China's Ministry of Commerce announced that Vice Premier He Lifeng of China's State Council will visit the United States starting today through next Wednesday to hold a new round of trade talks with Washington.
(END) SLQ / NSE
