China said on Tuesday that it would not accept unilateral sanctions by the United States on a third country.
Asked about China's response to the U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil imports,Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing that "China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions on another country pursuant to its domestic law." China would not accept the practice of saddling unilateral sanctions on a third country, he added.
His remarks come in the context of the United States exempting seven countries from Iran oil sanctions as they have "significantly" reduced their oil imports from Tehran. The U.S. sanctions coming into effect from June 28 were aimed at strangling Iran's disputed nuclear program by cutting funding from its oil industry.
China imports oil from Iran through normal channels in an open and transparent manner, and the trade is "legal and rational." Its oil imports are based on its economic development needs, and the oil imports do not violate relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions or undermine the interests of a third party or the international community, Liu said.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.