China reacted angrily on Saturday to new U.S. sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on North Korea, saying the unilateral targeting of Chinese firms and people risked harming cooperation on the problem, Reuters reported.
The United States said on Friday it was imposing its largest package of sanctions aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs, while President Donald Trump warned of a "phase two" that could be "very, very unfortunate for the world" if the steps did not work.
The Treasury sanctioned one person, 27 companies and 28 ships, according to a statement on the U.S. Treasury Department's website.
The sanctions' targets include a Taiwan passport holder, as well as shipping and energy firms in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The actions block assets held by the firms and individuals in the United States and prohibit U.S. citizens from dealing with them.
In a terse statement on Saturday, China's Foreign Ministry said the government had always fully and thoroughly enforced United Nations resolutions on North Korea, and absolutely did not allow any of its citizens or companies to contravene them.
China will "seriously handle" in accordance with the law those found to have done so, it added, according to Reuters.
"China resolutely opposes the U.S. side enacting unilateral sanctions and 'long-armed jurisdiction' in accordance with its domestic law against Chinese entities or individuals," the ministry said.
"We have already lodged stern representations with the U.S. side about this issue, and demand the U.S. side immediately stops such relevant mistaken actions to avoid harming bilateral cooperation in the relevant area," it added, without elaborating.
China has repeatedly expressed opposition to any sanctions against North Korea not done within the framework of the United Nations. READ MORE
