Ministry says US contacted over new sanctions on Iran

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday that China has lodged representations to the United States concerning the Trump administration's new sanctions against Iran, which involve three Chinese individuals and two Chinese companies.

The new US administration, under Donald Trump, ordered sanctions against 25 people and entities on Friday in retaliation for Iran's recent ballistic missile test.

Those targeted are prohibited from doing any business in the US or with American citizens.

However, executives of the two Chinese companies, Cosailing Business Trading Co. Ltd and Ningbo New Century Import and Export Co, told Reuters on Sunday that they had only exported "normal" goods to the Middle Eastern country and didn't consider they had done anything wrong.

"We've noticed the statements made by related Chinese companies," Lu told a daily press conference in Beijing.

In terms of sanctions, the spokesman reaffirmed that China is always opposed to unilateral sanctions, especially when it harms the interests of third parties.

"This is not conducive to the mutual trust of related parties, and their efforts to solve international issues," he said.