China protests Tokyo’s sanctions on Chinese firms

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned Japan on Friday not to add further political hurdles to the improvement of relations between the two countries, following Tokyo's decision to impose unilateral sanctions on four Chinese firms and one Chinese citizen over their alleged dealings with the DPRK.

China has always been committed to full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing, adding that China strongly opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions outside the framework of the Security Council, particularly against Chinese entities or individuals.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopts a resolution on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the ICBM program by the DPRK, August 5, 2017. /UN Photo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved new sanctions over the DPRK on Friday, targeting four Chinese and two Namibian companies as well as one Chinese and one DPRK citizens. The move comes days after the United States expanded sanctions on Chinese and Russian firms as well as individuals, accusing them of having links with Pyongyang.

Hua expressed Beijing's strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Tokyo, slamming it for "insisting on following some countries' steps to impose unilateral sanctions on Chinese enterprises and individual."

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R1) meets with General Joseph Dunford (L1), the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff at Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, August 18, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Japan's move has seriously harmed China's interests and judicial sovereignty and added further political hurdles to the improvement of China-Japan relations, she said.

China urges Japan to immediately stop its wrong moves, warning that Tokyo would face "consequences accordingly" if otherwise, Hua stressed.

The UN Security Council unanimously approved sanctions on the DPRK on August 5, in response to its two successive tests of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) in July.

Starting on August 15, China banned imports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from the DPRK.

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