China Protests Recent US Sanctions Against Iran's Missile Program

On Monday, February 6, China announced its protest to the United States regarding the recent sanctions list issued by Washington against Iran. Reports indicate that two Chinese companies are included in this list. The US Treasury Department added 25 individuals and entities to the sanctions list on Friday, citing a new missile test by the Islamic Republic as the reason. Sanctioned individuals and companies cannot access the US financial system or engage in transactions with American parties. Furthermore, other foreign companies and individuals also cannot trade with the sanctioned list, or they risk being blacklisted by Washington. The US sanctions list against Iran includes two legal entities and three individuals from China, one of whom is identified as 'Jin Xinhua', a Chinese citizen. Lu Kang, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded to the US sanctions by stating that Beijing has submitted a note of protest to Washington, asserting that such sanctions, especially when targeting the interests of a third party, will not contribute to mutual trust. He added, 'We have consistently opposed any unilateral sanctions.' The managers of the two Chinese companies, 'Kouzelin' and 'Ningbo', which are on the US sanctions list, stated on Sunday that they have only exported 'ordinary' goods to Iran and have done nothing wrong. Reuters reports that China has previously protested against what it calls unilateral sanctions by the US and others against its companies due to Iran and North Korea. China has close economic and diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and was one of the member countries of the P5+1 that reached a nuclear agreement with Iran in July 2015. Under this agreement, known as the JCPOA, Iran's controversial nuclear activities were resolved, and in return, international sanctions against Tehran were lifted. However, the UN Security Council, in a resolution supporting this agreement, prohibited the Islamic Republic of Iran from developing and testing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years. Tehran asserts that its missiles are not capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that its missile tests do not contradict the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Nevertheless, the United States officially warned Tehran following Iran's missile test last week and condemned the test. Donald Trump, the US President, has stated that the Obama administration was 'kind' to Iran, but he is not. His National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, has also said that the days of overlooking Iran's hostile actions are over. In this context, the US imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and entities in response to Iran's missile test, and Iran's reaction to the US sanctions includes imposing restrictions on Americans.