China blocks US sanctions against refineries accused of buying Iranian oil

“China blocks US sanctions against refineries accused of buying Iranian oil China’s commerce ministry said on Saturday it had issued an injunction to block US sanctions imposed on five Chinese refiners accused of purchasing Iranian oil, state news agency Xinhua reported. The ministry named the five as Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, and the so-called "teapot" refineries Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and Shandong Shengxing Chemical. In April, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical, accusing it of purchasing billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, in an escalation of Washington’s long-running efforts to curb Tehran’s oil revenues. The Trump administration last year imposed sanctions on the other four refineries named by the ministry, among others. The Chinese ministry said the US sanctions violate “international law and the basic norms of international relations”.

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