Beijing opposed the inclusion of Chinese and Hong Kong companies in the latest round of US sanctions aimed at companies linked to the Iranian regime. This was announced to journalists by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on 11 May.
He said Beijing has “always demanded that Chinese enterprises conduct business in accordance with laws and regulations.”
“(Chinese authorities – ed.) will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” Guo said.
The US Treasury Department on 8 May said it would impose sanctions against 10 individuals and companies while assisting the Iranian military’s efforts to obtain weapons and materials used to build Shahed drones. The list includes organisations from China and Hong Kong.
The round of sanctions came ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China, which will include wide-ranging strategic talks ranging from trade issues to the war in Iran. A senior US official told Reuters on 11 May that Trump and Xi were likely to discuss Beijing’s support for both Iran and Russia.
The US president is scheduled to arrive in China on 13 May and hold two days of talks, from 14 to 15 May. It is his first visit to China since 2017.