China protests US sanctioning of firms dealing with Russia

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing is protesting U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains. The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday placed five firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong on its “entity list,” barring them from trading with any U.S. firms without gaining a special license. Washington has been tightening up enforcement of sanctions against foreign firms it sees as providing assistance to Russia in its Ukraine war, forcing them to choose between trading with Moscow or with the U.S. A statement from China’s Commerce Ministry said the U.S. action “has no basis in international law” and has no U.N. Security Council authorization.