BEIJING: China has opposed the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.

Speaking at a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said wanton use or threat of sanctions would not solve any problem. Geng called on US to respect the lawful and justified cooperation between Tehran and Beijing.

“We are against unilateral sanctions and the so-called ‘long-arm jurisdiction’,” he said.

The spokesperson called on all parties concerned to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation to defuse tension in the Gulf.

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China called on all parties to view what had happened based on their own merits and stick to the general direction of political settlement. Concrete steps should be taken to defuse the Gulf situation and jointly uphold regional peace and stability, he said.

On the US sanctions on Chinese entities for cooperation with Iran, the spokesperson said, “For a long time, China and Iran have been conducting mutually-beneficial cooperation in various sectors within the framework of international law.”

Therefore, he requested, the US should cease immediately the wrongful sanctions on Chinese businesses.

“Such cooperation, which is justified and lawful and doesn’t harm any third party’s interests, should be respected and protected. We will continue to staunchly defend Chinese enterprises’ legitimate rights and interests,” he said.

On Jan 10, the US had placed new sanctions on Iran’s already ruining economy and defended the killing of a top Iranian official, alleging it was plotting an “imminent” attack on U.S. embassies.

The sanctions, announced at the White House, put the latest barrage in a U.S .- Iranian conflict that risked slipping into war a week ago with the deadly U.S. drone attack on General Qasem Soleimani, the second most influential person in Iran by some metrics.

In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missile volleys at Iraqi bases that housed US forces, without causing casualties.