White House hurting US firms' interests

Editor's Note: US President Donald Trump has ordered American enterprises to pull out of China, claiming that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act enables him to do so. Is it possible for US companies to withdraw from China? Two experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Liu Jianna. Excerpts follow:

Washington ignoring US firms' interests

The United States passed the IEEPA in 1977 to safeguard US hegemony and fight "enemies". The act gives the US president the power to bypass the Congress and the US judiciary to curb transactions between countries or enterprises, freeze assets of individuals and companies, and impose financial sanctions on entities that it believes pose a threat to its national security. The IEEPA has been used against countries including Russia and Iran. And the sanctions against Huawei, too, reflect the use of the act.