US Sanctions Chinese Shipping Firms for Alleged Iran Oil Transport
The US government has imposed sanctions on 10 Chinese shipping companies it claims are involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move targets companies based in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as eight tankers allegedly operating against US sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
According to the US State Department, the sanctioned companies' assets will be frozen in the US, and US companies and individuals are prohibited from doing business with them.
China's Foreign Ministry has consistently opposed what it describes as 'illegal unilateral sanctions' and 'long-arm jurisdiction' that lack a basis in international law. The ministry urges the US to halt such practices.
An associate professor at Robert Morris University, Anthony Moretti, told China Daily that the US seems 'drunk with enthusiasm' in its use of unilateral measures, which offer the administration a sense of toughness but have little impact on the international community.