Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Monday that Beijing is against the United States’ unilateral sanctions on Iran.

“To begin with, our principled position is clear-cut. We are against unilateral sanctions and the so-called ‘long-arm jurisdiction’,” he said at a press conference.

He made the remarks when asked about the new U.S. sanctions on Iran’s metals.

He added, “We believe wanton use or threat of sanctions won't solve any problem. We hold that purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations should be complied with in state-to-state relations; differences should be properly handled in peaceful ways through dialogue and negotiation.”

“China calls on all parties concerned to view what has happened based on their own merits and stick to the general direction of political settlement. Concrete steps should be taken to defuse the [Persian] Gulf situation and jointly uphold regional peace and stability,” he said.

The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iran on Friday.

According to Aljazeera, the sanctions target the nation’s steel industry, as well as eight senior Iranian officials and other sectors of the economy, including construction, manufacturing, textiles and mining, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

NA/PA