The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Wednesday announced countermeasures in accordance with the law against six US entities for assisting and supporting Washington's illegal sanctions related to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with the measures taking effect immediately.

The six entities are Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., Stratum Reservoir, LLC, Altana Technologies, Inc., the Responsible Business Alliance, Verite Group, Inc., and Human Rights in China, according to a MOFCOM announcement.

The entities have been placed on China's countermeasures list. Organizations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in relevant transactions, cooperation and other activities with them, according to the decision.

The US has recently imposed sanctions on Chinese enterprises under the pretext of so-called "forced labor," seriously violating international law and the basic norms governing international relations and gravely infringing upon China's sovereignty, security and development interests, the MOFCOM said.

The six US entities assisted and supported the illegal US sanctions related to Xinjiang, and their actions were egregious in nature, the ministry said.

The decision was approved by the national coordination mechanism for countering foreign sanctions.

The MOFCOM said the decision was made in accordance with Articles 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 15 of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, as well as Articles 3, 5, 8 and 10 of the provisions implementing the law.

Global Times