Beijing Condemns US Sanctions On Chinese Firms For Alleged Support Of Iran's Drone Program

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Friday condemned US's unilateral sanctions against Chinese companies for allegedly supporting Iran's drone program, saying they "violate international law and basic norms of international relations

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2023) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Friday condemned US's unilateral sanctions against Chinese companies for allegedly supporting Iran's drone program, saying they "violate international law and basic norms of international relations."

"US unilateral sanctions violate international law and basic norms of international relations. China has always strongly opposed it," Mao said.

The spokeswoman also noted that "Beijing will continue to vigorously defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in accordance with the law.

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On Thursday, Washington imposed new sanctions on a number of Chinese companies for allegedly supporting Iran's drone program. According to the US Treasury Department, China was "responsible for the sale and shipment of thousands of aerospace components, including components that can be used for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) applications, to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA)." The department added that HESA was involved in the production of the Shahed-136 drones, which Iran allegedly used to attack oil tankers off the coast of Oman and exported to Russia.