Chinese Embassy in SL says US sanctions a violation of international law

The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka yesterday slammed the United States administration for banning 24 Chinese companies from buying American products with an accusation of them constructing on Chinese islands and helping “militarising” the South China Sea.

The 24 Chinese companies which face the ban include China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which is the parent company of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), that is engaged in constructing the Colombo Port City.

A spokesperson for the Embassy in Colombo told the Daily Mirror that these sanctions were "totally against the truth and violating international law and norms" and China firmly opposed it, and urged the US administration to rectify its mistakes and immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

"In recent years, the US has been abandoning multilateralism, and imposed dozens of unilateral sanctions on different countries including China, Sri Lanka and even its own allies, with typical hegemonic logic and power politics, which are strongly objected to by the international community. Such unilateral and unjust sanctions from the US that severely intervene other sovereign countries’ internal affairs have no international legal effect at all and should not be accepted and tolerated," the spokesperson said.

"We understand that the US is facing quite a few domestic challenges including anti-racism, economy revival and COVID-19 pandemic, and we hope the US administration could concentrate more on its internal problems, listen to the voice of the global community, honor the multilateralism and international justice and order, make its due contribution to the social-economic development of the world, and bring more benefits to its own people and other developing countries including Sri Lanka," the spokesperson added.

The Chinese Embassy further went on to slam the US stating that the US had become the saboteur and troublemaker of peace and stability in the South China Sea and the world beyond.

"It is the US that keeps militarizing the world and the region, by maintaining nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 countries, deploying approximately 165,000 troops abroad, and spending more than $100 billion annually on foreign bases and personnel. The US has frequently dispatched in large numbers warships and fighter jets all the way to the South China Sea which is tens of thousands miles away from its homeland, to project its power and engage in military provocations, undermining regional countries' sovereignty and security interests as well as the normal order in the South China Sea," the spokesperson said. (JAMILA HUSAIN)