China steps up countermeasures against U.S. sanctions on Chinese entities

(ECNS) -- China has stepped up countermeasures against U.S. sanctions, criticizing the U.S. for abusing unilateral sanctions and extraterritorial measures.

For years, the U.S. has relied heavily on sanctions as a foreign-policy tool, turning to economic restrictions when diplomatic efforts fail to produce the desired results and often tightening them when existing measures fall short.

By the end of 2025, Washington had imposed sanctions on 2,796 Chinese entities, about 11% of all entities subject to U.S. sanctions worldwide, official data showed.

On July 31 this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added 43 Chinese companies to its so-called Xinjiang-related entity list, bringing the total number of companies on the list to 187 from 144.

In response to U.S. sanctions, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce urged Washington on Sept. 3 to immediately correct its wrongful practices and lift the sanctions against the Chinese entities and individuals concerned. Meanwhile, China has also taken concrete steps to counter such sanctions.

On May 2, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued a blocking ban prohibiting any recognition, enforcement or compliance with U.S. sanctions imposed on five Chinese companies on the grounds of their alleged involvement in Iranian petroleum transactions.

The five companies are Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refining Co., Ltd., Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group Co., Ltd., Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Ltd., and Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co., Ltd.

On Aug. 5, the MOC announced broader measures against six U.S. entities -- Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., Stratum Reservoir, LLC., Altana Technologies, Inc., Responsible Business Alliance, Verite Group, Inc., and Human Rights in China. They assisted and supported the U.S.' unlawful Xinjiang-related sanctions, the ministry said in a statement.

Organizations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions, cooperation or other related activities with these six entities.

In a separate decision, the MOC placed the U.S. company Compliance Testing LLC on its countermeasures list over its support for restrictive measures taken by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The company assisted and supported the FCC in taking these measures, which endangers China's sovereignty, security and development interests.

The U.S. should abandon a Cold War mentality, adopt a more objective understanding of China's development and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation rather than unilateral pressure, Chinese authorities said.